The Hawkins Chronicles
by Conejo-sama
Summary: A series of tales told to a young Tim Hawkins as he awaits his father's return. Read about the many strange characters and ancient secrets that are revealed to the little boy as he learns about his father's past. JimxOC
1. Prologue

**My third Disney story! This idea just popped up in my head when I started watching "Treasure Planet" again a few months back. I love that movie so much. I hope you like this story as much as my other Disney favorites!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

A house on a small cliff at the side the ocean was dark. A young boy, disobeying his mother's curfew, snuck out of his room and into the hallway. It was late. Too late for a boy his age to creep through the hallways of his dark, enormous home. But this boy was on a mission: his mission was to retrieve a certain storybook.

Once he was at the vast library of his home, his mission would truly be a challenge for him. Here, of course, there were many books; and with so many books, there would be many bookcases with high shelves. The boy only brought a lantern with him, so his sight was restricted and the portable lamp only provided him with a meager source of light. Then again, if he kept the lantern on, his mother might notice he left his room. He decided to turn it off, which was very inconvenient.

His favorite book was on one of the top shelves, and without the light, he would have to rely on his hands. He would have to climb it.

Inheriting his mother's rationality, he began to reconsider doing something so dicey, but having his father's courageousness and quick wits, he'd do anything to get that book before he was caught.

He reached for the highest shelf to start his climb. He was cautious with every step. It was extremely difficult because there were other books bulging out of the shelves. But some of those books served as a higher elevation for him to get to his book.

A few more steps and he would be there.

"Tim! What in the name of Montressor do you think you're doing up there!" his mother called after him. The unexpected cry startled the young boy named Tim, and he lost his footing on a very large dictionary. He, along with several other books, began to fall to the ground.

"AH!" He closed his eyes so he wouldn't see the coming of his demise, but he didn't feel a thing. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was in his mother's arms. "Uh… hi…?"

His mother raised an eyebrow. "Timothy James," she began. She stopped to put him down. "What were you doing in the library this late at night, young man?"

"I, um, wanted a drink of water and lost my way to the kitchen…?" Timothy's excuse was evidently lame and it was obvious his mother wasn't convinced. This boy was not a very good liar.

"Mm-hm. And that's why you came here looking for this." She held up the reason why he snuck into the library: _The Legend of Treasure Planet_. "I knew you would try to play a trick like that, so I grabbed it before you went to bed. Or when you were supposed to go to bed, young man."

"Ah, come on, Mom," he whined. "Can I read the story, please? Dad promised he would come back and read it with me."

"Your father's not going to be home until tomorrow night, Tim, and you're going to be asleep then." She made it as a command. "You can see your father the next morning, and you two will have time to tell plenty of stories to each other."

"Can I still read the story?" She didn't look like she would agree at this moment. After all, he was a very disobedient boy. "Please Mom?" Tim's eyes grew to a size so grand, they were shining as bright as the brilliant Etherium sky. His mother couldn't resist.

"Fine. We can read this together." Timothy cheered out loud. "But I think it's about time I told you a different story."

"But 'The Legend of Treasure Planet' is the best!" her son declared.

"I know, but I think you'll like this story even better. Come on." She took her 3-year-old son's hand and escorted him to his room.

Through the messy jungle of toys and other trinkets sprawled about the scope of Tim's room, they were somehow able to get to his bed so his mother could begin her tale.

"What kind of story is it, Mom?" young Timothy asked, anxiously.

"Oh, it's the most exciting, most horrific, and most romantic story you could ever hear."

"Romantic? That sounds mushy." He put out his tongue in disgust.

She laughed. "Don't worry. It's not that _mushy_."

"Does this story have pirates and treasure?" he asked. His mother couldn't help but roll her eyes when he asked. He didn't enjoy any story that didn't have any pirates or treasure mentioned.

"Of course. This story is one of a kind!"

"Alright! So what's the story? What is it?" The young mother silently laughed as she watched her son's eagerness fly off and on the bed. She finally decided to catch her son so she could begin the story.

"Calm down, little spacer. Let me start," she said as she set him down. He nodded and looked up at her mother in anticipation. "Let's begin up in the Etherium, where every story ever told begins…"

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><p><strong>This is my Spring Break present to all! Stay tuned for the first chapter!<strong>

_**R&R!**_


	2. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet.

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><p><strong>Tale 1: <strong>_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 1**

_A get away longboat hurtled into the depths of the Interstellar Domain. The crash was not very soft, but the escapee survived, just barely. A woman emerged from under the wrecked boat, bloody and wounded. Fortunately, the bundle tucked under her arm was unharmed by the accident. The woman was glad but not relieved; she had little time left._

_Ignoring her injuries, the cloaked woman ran as far as she could away from the devastated boat. A light drizzle began to fall and the droplets of water made her wounds sting, but she didn't stop. She didn't know how far she could run, especially with her wounds, but she wouldn't give up._

_The woman had finally reached her limit. She fell and remained on the ground. The bundle in her arms was struggling, and it made a muffled sound._

_A carriage abruptly stopped in front of the woman. A shadow emerged from the hansom and approached her. She clutched the bundle closer to her chest when she heard the slow footsteps plop towards her. "Ma'am, are you alright?" the figure asked. The woman regressed, making the pain worse. "Marie, get some help! Hurry!"_

"_No," the woman breathed out. She relinquished the blanketed bundle over to the man. "Please, take her…" Then she blacked out. He checked her pulse and felt nothing. The woman had passed on._

"_Thomas." A woman slowly walked up to her husband's side. "Is she…?"_

"_I'm afraid so," the Sylph man said sadly. He then unwrapped the crying bundle partially and he jolted in shock. "Marie, look." The woman looked over her husband's shoulder to see what made him so astounded. She gasped at the sight._

"_Thomas, it's… she's beautiful." Marie took the baby away from her husband and tried to soothe her._

_The light drizzle quickly turned into harsh rain. "Take the baby inside the carriage, Marie. We need to take care of this woman, quickly." His Sylph wife nodded and ran back to their hansom. The man picked up the departed woman and walked back to the carriage to his wife._

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><p><em>18 YEARS LATER:<em>

The Interstellar Academy is a prestigious school that teaches the most promising students into the finest spacers ever selected. They are the future adventurers, soldiers, and possible heroes that this school has ever edified.

-X-

Today was a little different than any other day at this legitimate school for 17-year-old Jim Hawkins. He was one of the few prodigies in his class and probably the youngest. Even though he skipped a year, he had so far proved to be a fairly auspicious spacer ever since he enrolled into this school at the age of 15, especially in combat skills, weaponry, and astronomy, and he surpassed many other prodigal students in the Academy.

It had been a long three years, but school wasn't over yet. Luckily, graduation was still a ways away, but young Jim Hawkins couldn't wait. After all, it had been three years. Three long, tedious, intricate years.

The holographic alarm in his room suddenly went off, buzzing throughout the dormitory obnoxiously. But after three obnoxious beeps, Jim was still in deep slumber. His trusty companion Morph wasn't able to turn off the irksome contraption having no knowledge on how to stop such a racket. He instead flew up to Jim's sleeping form and persistently licked his face. "Morph…?" Jim moaned. "Morph—Morph! Okay! I get it! I'm up!" Jim tried to push the little blob out of his face, having little affect on his amorphous body.

Now aware of the blasted beeping, Jim snoozed his alarm, stretched out his arms, and got ready for the day.

Once he was washed up and changed into his freshly cleaned uniform, Jim was ready. The uniform was a simple yet appropriate suit that male students had to wear. It was made so that they could move easily during combat training and aptly for indoor classes.

He checked himself once more to make sure that he looked equitable (to a boy's standards) and began to walk to the dining hall. As soon as he was in the hallway, his presence suddenly caught someone else's attention.

"Well, well, well," a baritone voice sang out. "If it isn't James Pleiades Hawkins. I don't believe I've seen you up this early before." Jim turned to see one of his best friends, Eddie, wearing the same uniform as Jim's and a devious smirk on his face. His shaggy, blonde hair was put in a ponytail, which made him look even more mischievous. "In fact, the last time I saw you up this early, you looked like crap."

"Morning, Ed," Jim said, ignoring the comment his friend made. He wasn't going to let anything ruin this day, not even his smart-alecky friend.

"You seem cheerier than normal, Jim." Another one of his friends named Richard walked up behind Eddie. Unlike his friends, he wasn't human. He was a Felinid, having the chestnut fur, a pink nose, and yellow slit eyes. But he did have humanoid features. "What's up?"

"Yeah," Eddie said, also very curious about his friend's abnormally happy mood. "Why are you in such a good mood? Did you see _her_ this morning?"

Jim's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "No!" His blush went away and he smirked at his friends. "Congratulate me, you guys. I'm eighteen now."

Eddie and Richard exchanged glances at each other before looking at their friend again. "Happy Birthday, man," said Eddie. "You're finally catching up to the rest of us. I guess that's why your mom's here."

"What? My mother's here?" Jim never thought his mother would come up to the school for him. At his old school, she would usually come to talk to his teachers about his grades—due to his poor academic skills—and his suspensions—due to the brawls he or some other students caused. Coming to the Interstellar Academy to celebrate his birthday was a strange ordeal. "Are you sure you saw _my_ mother?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure we saw her, right Richie?"

The Felinid nodded affirmatively. "Yeah. Aunt Amelia and Dr. Doppler are also here, along with their kids and some weird robot."

Eddie groaned. "Please don't call her your aunt. Knowing someone like her is related to you still bugs me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jim interrupted them before there was a quarrel. "Everyone's here?" he inquired again. But he did not wait to receive a response as he sped across the hallway.

Eddie looked up at his taller, furrier companion. "Does he even know where he's going?"

Richard shrugged, and they both laughed before they followed their hasty friend.

Jim did in fact know where he was going. He knew his family was in the Headmaster's quarters; since they came to see him, they would need the Headmaster's approval. He also knew Captain Amelia, the retired captain of the _RLS Legacy_, would want to see the Headmaster to ask about his progress. His mother would want to join her and ask too many questions like the overprotective mother she was. He just wanted to see if what his friends had informed him was true.

The young man stopped in front of the doors that led to the Headmaster's quarters. He knew if he burst through the doors, B.E.N., his chatty, mechanical friend, would squeeze him practically to death—and he didn't plan on getting sent to the infirmary on his birthday. He decided to risk it anyway, knowing for sure that his friend was going to bombard him as soon as he opened the doors. But, instead of receiving a death hug from B.E.N., he was ambushed by the Dynamic Doppler Quartet. "JIM!" they all exclaimed.

"We missed you Jim!" the blonde Felinid named Catherine said.

"Did you go anywhere exciting yet?" the red-head Claire asked curiously.

"Did you die?" the brunette Cassidy inquired.

"What's it like being a spacer?" Eric, the only canine boy of the group, questioned.

"Whoa guys, take it easy." He picked up the three as he got up from the floor and set them down once he was on his feet. "I missed you, too."

"Did you meet any pirates?" Claire asked.

"Now, children," Dr. Delbert Doppler finally decided to join the party. "Let's not get too excited."

Jim laughed. "It's okay, doc." He held out his hand to the doctor. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Jim." The canine astrophysicist readily shook his hand. "You've matured since the last time I saw you, if I do say so myself." Jim took away his hand and rubbed the back of his head impishly. "Your mother will be so proud to see you once she takes a look herself."

At the mention of his mother, the young man looked around the lounging area to find her. But she was not in the room. "Where is she?" he asked.

"She's in there with Amelia. And B.E.N." Jim almost staggered at this news. They both knew how rowdy the robot was. Whatever they were discussing in the Headmaster's office was probably not too serious if B.E.N. was involved. Or maybe it was terribly serious, Jim thought. He tried not to think about it too hard. But how useful could a Bio-Electronic Navigator be to the Headmaster of the Interstellar Academy?

"Hopefully he won't be too much trouble." He knew Delbert was thinking the same.

"Jim?" His attention flew back to the four Doppler children staring up at him with bated breath. "Can we see your badge?" Eric asked.

"I bet it's real shiny!" Catherine said.

"Sorry to tell you guys, but I'm not a spacer yet. I don't get a badge until I graduate, and graduation isn't for some time." The four Doppler kids groaned dejectedly. "But I can tell you a tale about my first adventure up in the Etherium, if you're interested, that is."

"Tell us! Tell us!" the children chanted.

"Alright, alright. But you have to calm down first before I tell you the story."

They all nodded eagerly and ran to the ottoman across the room. It was big enough for all four of them to sit. Jim took another chair in front of them and prepared his story. "This story starts in a little place you guys know very well: the Benbow Inn…"

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><p>"Captain Amelia, I'm glad you came," said the Headmaster of the Interstellar Academy, Thomas Smyth.<p>

"Not a problem, Tom. I've been looking forward to coming back and seeing Mr. Hawkins's progress," she replied.

"Yes, how is Jim doing?" Sarah Hawkins inquired. B.E.N. was busy observing the interesting books and mechanisms in the Headmaster's office. Thomas looked at him warily before turning back to the two women interrogating him.

"I can assure you, Mrs. Hawkins, James is one of the best recruits we've had. But," he paused for a moment and looked at their expectant faces. Giving them this news made him feel a bit guilty. He stood from his desk and aversely announced, "I'm afraid he and the students aren't safe here at the Interstellar Academy right now."

"What?" they all exclaimed.

"I find that very hard to believe, Tom," Amelia denied. "Your school has the most standard security on this planet!"

"I know, but one of my men spotted a ship in the ionosphere. And they weren't one of ours."

The Felinid thought discreetly for a moment. "I recall that you once mentioned to me you planned on using your future alumni for supplementary security—as a test, that is," Amelia suddenly said. "I have to say that is a very shrewd plan indeed; it could possibly work against whatever your men have encountered. Tell me, what did that blasted ship look like?"

"One of my men described it having the similar features you would find on a pirate ship."

"Hm, that is a problem." Amelia put a fist on her chin in contemplation. Why would a pirate ship appear so conspicuous?

"Does that mean we can take Jimmy home with us?" B.E.N. suddenly asked. He hid a broken model of a dinghy behind his back.

Thomas considered this for a moment. "I normally wouldn't allow the cadets to leave the premises if there was an intruder in the area, but since Jim's one of my best students, and it is his birthday… I'll permit him to leave on his own.

"Playing favorites, aren't we, Thomas?" Amelia said.

"Maybe. To be honest, if any other parents showed up, I would probably never make the same offer, even if it was their child's birthday. But," he stopped to make sure everyone in the room was paying attention, "if he chooses to do so, we'll send you a letter that will inform you when he shall return. If the perpetrators are notified as pirates or any other threat, the Academy will have a lock down, and I don't want him coming back and getting into any trouble."

"Will the town also be on lockdown?" Amelia asked.

"Yes."

"How long will it last?"

"Depends. I sent notices to parents and guardians, but if I'd known you folks were coming to the Academy, I would've had one of my men send you an early warning. I'm sorry if this arrangement is inconvenient to you folks, but it's something I need to do."

Amelia contemplated one more time before turning to the Headmaster with a poised grin. "Alright, Tom. You're in charge, and I trust your judgment." She shook his hand. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Amelia. Your outlook is very beneficial. It is unfortunate you can't stay and help us."

"Indeed." The ex-captain's ears twitched. She turned quickly to find two nosy students in the doorway. The Headmaster and Sarah followed her gaze.

"Edward Gilligan, Richard Smollet… And you as well, James Hawkins?" Jim stood casually behind his friends with a hand on his forehead, discomfited by his two meddlesome friends. The Doppler Quartet hid behind his legs, also wearing inquisitive looks.

"Jimmy!" B.E.N. ran to greet his friend. Jim evasively stepped to the side along with the four little ones, and the clumsy robot tripped over his feet, tumbling into the other room. A cry of pain echoed through the massive office.

"Poor darling," said Amelia when she heard her husband's cry, but she held a playful smile on her face and a hand on her cheek. Then she looked over to her nephew, who cowered further behind the door away from his aunt's daunting stare. "Richard!"

"Yes, ma'am?" he squeaked.

"Take your friend and go to your first class," she said. "Hop to it!"

"Yes ma'am!" The two disappeared in a flash. Jim had never seen them look so frightened. Of course, the renowned Captain Amelia had that affect on most people. It was too bad they would have to miss breakfast.

A cough brought his attention back into the room. "As for you, Jim," the Headmaster started.

"Yes, sir!" Jim stood erect and his arms immediately glued to his side.

"We need to talk…"

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><p><strong>I've planning on writing a story about Treasure Planet for years, but I never came around it until I finally bought the movie on DVD. I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter!<strong>

_**R&R!**_


	3. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 2

**Tale 1:**_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 2**

Robin sighed. She didn't like waiting. She had been sitting in the same spot for about twenty minutes and she was getting feisty. Today was not a very good day for her to wait. It was hot and humid outside; why she decided to wear a dress was a mystery to her.

"Where is he?" she asked her furry companion, KiKi. She had woken the six-legged creature from its slumber, and it looked up at its owner in irritation before falling back asleep. Robin sighed.

"Calm down, Robin," her older sister, Abigail, said. She fanned herself as observed her fidgeting sister. "He'll show up, eventually."

"But he's never been this late!"

"He'll appear. He hasn't missed a day since he entered this institute." She snickered under her breath, but it didn't go unnoticed by her sister. "I wonder, why did you fall for such a boy? Why don't you just mingle with the young men at Daddy's socials? There are always plenty of suitors who are willing to court you."

"I don't want any of those men, and I'm not interested in being courted."

"Not yet. That's the reason why they have you go, you know." Robin ignored her. "And it's better than picking out some cadet from the Academy."

Robin rolled her eyes. "You should talk, Abigail. I saw you flirting with that baker in town."

Abigail stopped her fanning. KiKi snickered. "I-I was just being polite!"

"By feeling his biceps?"

"No!"

"I wonder, why does someone so hefty have to work as a baker?"

"His parents own the bakery. And they need someone with his strength to knead the dough."

That earned her another eye roll. "You know he has another eye on his forehead, right? It's just hidden under his bangs."

Abigail slammed her fan on the arm of her chair, making KiKi jump. "At least he won't die from baking! Yours may never come back."

Robin almost broke the arm of her chair. "At least mine's not a freak!"

"How dare you! I ought to—!"

"Shame on you girls!" The girls stopped their bickering when they saw their mother standing by the door. She wanted to join her daughters in the Solarium for a bit of relaxation, but then she heard them arguing and decided to see what all the commotion was about. Now she was holding a shaking ferret while confronting her flabbergasted daughters. "Why are you girls startling KiKi? Now she's scared stiff." She stroked the ferret's back and soothed it back to sleep.

Robin ran over to her mother to retrieve her six-legged friend. "Aw, did big, bad, ole' Abby scare you, KiKi?" she cooed. "My poor baby." She took her ferret back and stroked her smooth hide like her mother did. KiKi rolled her eyes.

Abigail huffed. "It's not my fault. Robin won't learn to stop being a—"

"Shut up, Abigail!"

"Isabel!" She winced at her mother's scolding tone. She never used her real name unless she was really upset with her. "What did I tell you about speaking to your sister that way?" Robin just huffed under her breath. Her mother placed as hand on her shoulder. "Dear, why are you so upset?"

"She's just cranky because her boyfriend won't show up."

"_Abby_…" she hissed her older sister's name. It didn't faze the older girl at all. She simply smirked as their mother looked at Robin charily.

"Abigail that's enough." Even though her mother ended the feud, Abigail still smirked in victory. "Dear, were you spying on those cadets in the training field, again?" their mother asked.

"I'm not _spying_ on all of them. I'm just _searching _for one of them." Robin walked back to her spot near the balcony. She pulled back the translucent drapes and peeked outside. She sighed somberly and slumped into a cushioned chair.

Her mother joined her on the chaise lounge. "Darling, these students are training to become spacers, defenders of the queen, and they'll be traveling places far beyond the Etherium. Their lives will be filled with peril; do you really want to fall in love with a boy who… may never come back?"

Robin suddenly felt angry. She'd always wanted to go out in the Etherium ever since she was young. But her parents wouldn't allow it. She hated the rules her parents set for her, and she couldn't stand being treated like she was some sort of spoiled princess, even though she basically was. But she didn't like being spoiled. She wanted to live a life of adventure, to live by her own rules and travel to far off place, just like the cadets were about to do. She stroked KiKi's thin coat sadly as she thought about it.

Her mother patted her shoulder dolefully. "I'm sorry, dear. But your father and I are just thinking about what's best for you."

"I know." She didn't like it, but she would never admit it to her parents. She was grateful to have parents that were so protective of her, but it got on her nerves sometimes. Even though she wouldn't ever be able to go out into the Etherium—as long as her parents prevented her from doing so—it still wouldn't change the way she felt.

Robin froze when she had a chilling feeling crawl up her spine. For a moment, she couldn't see her mother anymore, and she couldn't think. She could only see darkness.

_It was very dark, wherever she was, and very cramped. She had limited space. She could only slightly move her fettered arms and legs. It made her feel claustrophobic. She couldn't breathe. Something dirty and dry was gagging her. When she breathed through her nose, she smelled nothing but rancid air. It nearly made her vomit._

_The darkness now turned to a dim light, revealing a large shadowy figure._

"_We've finally find it, boys," a dark, nasty voice said. "The treasure of Divinia."_

"—Robin!"

She gasped audibly. "Wha—huh?"

"Robin," her mother said. She held her hand in both of her larger, delicate ones. "Did you…?"

"No!" She snatched her hand from her mother's grasp and backed away to the curtain. "I—I need some fresh air. I'll be outside!" She disappeared behind the curtain before her mother or her sister could say anything.

Robin did find it easier to breathe once she was outside. She inhaled deeply before letting out her breath. She put a hand on her forehead, which felt hot and clammy. She had never felt so scared before, and she had never felt so relieved to be inside the protection of the Interstellar Academy's walls. What she saw was a warning, and she had never taken these warnings lightly.

Her trusty companion KiKi climbed onto her shoulder and nuzzled against her neck in solace. "I'm alright, KiKi. It was nothing." The ferret made a clicking sound, which tickled Robin's neck.

"Cadets, line up!" They both stopped their antics when they heard the rigorous voice.

"Oh! He must be here now!" Robin ran up and leaned over the balcony. She saw the uniformed boys lined up, saluting their lieutenant. Her face fell when she saw that this was a different class, but then her expression quickly lightened up when the late cadet showed up. He ran up to the deputy and gave him a slip of paper. The rock man read it quickly before saluting the young boy, allowing him to leave. Then, for a brief moment, he looked up at her, gave her an apologetic smile, and saluted her before running off to his next class. She would've been disappointed that he only stayed briefly, but it didn't seem to matter anymore. At least he showed up, right? And just seeing his smile made her heart flutter.

Her eyes traced over him dreamily and slowly over her multi-legged ferret friend, who looked at her suggestively. "What?" She knew what she was getting at; KiKi was just like her sister. But she didn't just watch the cadets because of _him_—she liked watching them do their regular routine in the morning. She liked their standardized practice and envied each one of those cadets. In three months, they would be out there, serving for the queen and discovering new places in the Etherium.

_Some day, that'll be me._

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><p>Jim wasn't normally late. But after the discussion he had with the Headmaster, his mother and the Dopplers kept him longer than he thought.<p>

The Headmaster had given him a chance to go home for his birthday, but he refused. He didn't want to fall behind in any of his classes. Not that he didn't want to spend his birthday with his family, but he wanted to graduate without any repercussions. So, to compensate for skipping out on their celebration, he spent breakfast with his family, which cost the time he had left to get to his morning warm up routine on time.

When he arrived at the training field, he appeared to be late—so late, that he was in the wrong class. Luckily, Mr. Smyth liked him enough to write up an excuse for his tardiness, which his lieutenant accepted. The rock man—a meticulous man who he feared due to past experiences and memories that still haunted him to this very day—saluted him, giving him permission to leave for his next class. But before he left, he saw _her_.

The blonde-haired maiden stood on the balcony of the private estate that stood next to the Academy. He usually saw her every morning when they each exchanged brief, knowledgeable, and sometimes coquettish glances. But since he was in a hurry, all he could do was salute her and smile ruefully.

When he arrived at his next class, his friends didn't hesitate to give him a hard time.

"So, why are you late, Jim?" Eddie asked him.

"You're usually one of the first ones here," said Richard.

"Sorry, I was caught up—"

"Doing what?" Eddie inquired.

"… Eating breakfast," Jim whispered sheepishly.

"WHAT!"

"Mr. Gilligan and Mr. Smollet!" All three heads popped up. Their professor, Dr. Xavier Crustaceius, was a man with a squid-like head and tentacle arms and legs to match. His beady eyes glared at the two boys who interrupted his class. "Is there something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?"

"No, sir!"

"Then stop your jibber-jabber and let me teach this class. From what I recall, Mr. Gilligan, your grades in this class have begun to plummet. You need all the help you can get."

The class laughed and Eddie blushed in embarrassment. He slumped back in his chair as the class quieted down. When Mr. Crustaceius began teaching again, Eddie whispered to the brunette, "We'll talk about this later."

Jim shrugged if off. He called Eddie's bluff and figured he would just forget about it. There were much worse things than being tantalized by someone as annoying as him.

After their astronomy class, Jim skipped his free period and went back to his dorm. On his way there, he accidentally bumped into a tall, black, muscular figure. "Oh, um, hey Lionel." The black panther only glared and sniffed at the young man. Lionel, Headmaster Smyth's most diligent and trustworthy man, always checked every which way of the Academy, mostly attending to the dormitories of those who were on his trouble list. Jim was on that list right under his friend Eddie. Seeing the taller Feralis Felinid near his door wasn't very uncommon. "Well, I'll see you later, big guy."

Jim slipped past the panther and into his dorm. As soon as he entered, Morph attacked his face and continually licked his face. "Morph! S-Stop!" He tried pushing the little blob away but only ruined his amorphous form. He heard footsteps stomp by and grabbed his friend. He waited as they came closer and quickly disappeared. Jim released a breath of relief. "That was close." He released Morph, who was also gasping for air. "We almost got caught by Lionel. We could get into serious trouble if you keep messing around. You've got to stay put, even when I come in, got it?"

The little blob nodded and morphed into a miniature Lionel. Jim laughed. "Don't worry, Morph. Once I graduate, we'll be out of here and in the Etherium in no time. And you'll never have to hide from Lionel again." Jim had his whole future planned ahead of him. Once he graduated from the Interstellar Academy, he'd be able to work with Captain Amelia as her first mate so he could get the firsthand experience of being a captain and attaining to a ship. But, for the time being, Morph had to hide in the depths of Jim's dorm due to the no pet policy of the Academy.

At the moment, Morph, who had once been Lionel, changed into a little black kitten version of the mentioned panther man. This made Jim laugh harder. "Knock it off!"

A knock came from the door. "Jim, it's Richard!"

"Richard?" He grabbed the tiny Lionel-kitten and put him in one of his dresser drawers. Then he ran to the door. It slid open to reveal the said Felinid. "What is it?"

"All senior cadets are being called to meet in the field."

"For what?"

Richard shrugged. "They just want everyone. Come on!"

Jim didn't rush. He had a feeling he knew what was going on.

"_A few of my men saw a pirate ship on in the ionosphere. I don't want they're doing or what they want, so I decided to lockdown the Academy for a while. I didn't want to inform the students until it was confirmed, but now that you're here, I didn't think it would hurt to tell you first. But don't tell the other students until it's confirmed."_

The other cadets would find out soon enough.

* * *

><p>"Wait a minute."<p>

"What is it, Tim?"

"You said this story wasn't going to be mushy."

"I said it wasn't going to be _too_ mushy, and the story's only started."

"But when is it going to get exciting? When are the pirates going to show up? Are there really pirates in this story?"

"Don't worry. There are pirates."

"But what about—"

"Calm down, Tim. I'm getting there. Now, what was I about to say? Oh, yes, later that night—"

"I thought the cadets were meeting up for something."

"You'll find out about that later. Now, as I was saying, the Headmaster's daughter was preparing for the events that she foresaw that morning…"

* * *

><p>As she got ready for bed, Robin stayed alert and ready for anything that could happen. Ever since she had that vision, she hadn't tried to sneak out of the facilities like she usually would—she'd always get caught by Lionel, anyway. For once, she was glad he was so good at his job—nothing could get past that panther. But she didn't want to press her luck. Anything could happen and she didn't want to jinx herself by doing something risky.<p>

A knock from her door made her jump and fall back on her bed. KiKi scurried away so she wouldn't get crushed by her nervy owner. The door opened to reveal the panther man. "Oh, Lionel! Thank goodness!"

"Is something wrong, Miss?"

"No, no. I was just… is there something you need, Lionel?"

"My nightly shift, Miss."

She paused for a moment and then laughed when she realized what he was talking about. "Oh, right." She had nearly forgotten that the Feralis Felinid checked on her and her sister every night. It was one of those things that made her feel like a spoiled princess—then she remembered how grateful she was to have the panther watch over her. "Goodnight, Lionel."

"Goodnight, Miss."

When he left, the young woman let out a huge breath. KiKi jumped onto her lap and began clicking her tongue again. "I know, I know. I'm overreacting, but if you saw what I saw, you'd be freaking out, too!"

Another series of clicks followed shortly after.

"I don't know when I'm going to see good things! Having the gift of foresight isn't as fun as it sounds, you know!"

Kiki stuck her tongue and scurried away. "You're no help at all right now, you know that?"

"Robin?" she heard her mother say. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah!" she squeaked.

"May I come in?"

"Sure!"

Her mother graciously came in with a concerned look on her face. Her daughter had been acting weird all day, and she was worried that something happened to her. When she heard the peculiar outbursts from her room, it made her even more anxious.

"Dear, who were you talking to?"

"Um…" What was she going to say to her mother? She couldn't tell her that she saw something that morning, and she definitely wouldn't tell her she was talking to KiKi; it would make her seem crazy—or crazier than she already thought she was. "I was just… talking to myself."

"You seem a bit uneasy."

"I'm fine, Mother," she insisted. "Honest. There's nothing wrong."

Her mother was still doubtful, but she let it go. She didn't want to make her daughter more uncomfortable. "Alright, then. Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, Mother."

As soon as her mother left, Robin fell back on her bed. Her mother was no doubt suspicious, but she was glad she didn't push the issue.

She decided to go to sleep then. She didn't want anybody else stopping by while she was awake, and she didn't want to think about her admonition anymore. Robin doubted what she saw would happen to her tonight, anyway.

She didn't know how wrong she was.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	4. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 3

**Tale 1: **_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 3**

A ship passed through the ionosphere and into the Interstellar Domain. But this was not just your run of the mill ship; this was a pirate ship, and pirates hadn't showed up on the planet Astral in centuries. They were looking for a treasure that could only be found on this planet and could possibly lead them to another world full of riches. At least, that was what their captain believed. It was a very motivational way to get his men working faster.

"Okay, boys," their captain spoke up, "no funny business. Let's just get what we need and out. Now everybody, go to the long boats and move out!"

The pirates dispersed and went to their respective boats. Three boats went their separate ways around the Interstellar Academy and the mansion that stood adjacent to it. They turned on the invisible panels to camouflage their longboats and avoid being seen by the cadets monitoring the facilities below them. Three peculiar, reckless pirates lurked around one of the windows of the mansion searching for whatever seemed like treasure to them.

"Hey!" a haggard voice cried. A porky hand pointed to a window.

"Shh!" Another voice shushed the pig and covered his mouth with a slim hand. "What are you trying to do, Tiny? Get us caught?"

"Finny, Tiny, shut up! We have a job to do. Now what were you blabbering about, Tiny?"

The pig pointed to the window again. The rat-like being pointed the light into a room. He pointed to a dresser with a shiny box most likely filled with many jewelry and other sorts of valuable items. "Jackpot."

The boys opened the window—it was lucky for them the window was unlocked—and snuck in as quietly as they could, which was inevitable because of their larger crewmate. "Tiny, stay on the boat and watch out for anybody suspicious."

"Why do I always have to stay behind?"

"Shut it!" The pig stayed quiet and sat in the boat begrudgingly.

The other two pirates began plundering. They grabbed everything diamond-encrusted and expressive-looking item that seemed to be valuable. They tried their best not to make any racket, and the only sound in the room was the satisfied chuckles that the two men guffawed as they marveled the valuables. When they were certain they were finished, they made their way to the window. It wasn't until the rat-like pirate accidentally knocked over a vase when the chaos began.

"Damn it, Finny!"

"Sorry, Pat! My tail…!"

"You and that tail of yours—!"

Something shifted in the bed, which caused the men to stop their bickering completely. They hoped the body wouldn't notice their presence, but that was very unfeasible because of how much noise they made.

The light Tiny held shone onto whoever was in the bed. Underneath the covers emerged a young woman rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the irritating light. When her eyes were fixed on the three pirates, she froze.

"Great, Tiny," Patrick growled.

"What'd I do?"

The other pirates ignored him and turned back to the girl. She was already scurrying out of her bed when Patrick yelled, "Get her before she blabs!"

Finny was the first to react, grabbing both of her arms while Patrick went for her legs. She kicked him in the face, which made the man angrier. He tried reaching her again, but was once again kicked as she continued to struggle. "Make her stop!" he hissed.

"What am I supposed to do?" Finny said.

Patrick scowled at the rat. "Never mind!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out rag full of chloroform. He put it to the squirming girl's face. Her belligerent movements suddenly became sluggish. He didn't pull away the rag until she was completely motionless. "She's out cold. Let's take her and move!"

"But Pat, are you sure…?"

"She won't forget she saw us. And I think the captain will be very pleased with our findings."

The pirates lifted their load onto the longboat before shipping off back to the mother ship. Several other boats had also returned but came back with nothing that was approved by their captain. He snarled at his crew.

"No, no, no! This is not what I'm looking for!"

"Well, cap, you weren't very specific," one crewmate said.

"Yeah! What exactly is the treasure of Divinia? Wouldn't it be in… Divinia?" another said.

"We don't know where Divinia is, you twit!" their captain reprimanded. "We need the treasure of Divinia to take us to Divinia to find the Treasure of Eternity. I'll know it when I see it, and I know it's here on this planet." He glanced at three of his men and called them forward. "What do you have?"

The three men, Patrick, Finny, and Tiny, hauled their bag to the captain, who looked upon the bag, very skeptical whether he should open it. They were the most incompetent men in his crew, so he didn't expect them to bring anything valuable back. However, when he looked into the bag, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Captain…?"

"We've finally found it boys. The treasure of Divinia…"

* * *

><p>"She was kidnapped! So she's really the treasure of Divinia? And who was kidnapped? It was Robin, right?"<p>

"Just wait and find out! At this rate, I'll never be able to finish the story if you keep interrupting me."

"But which girl was kidnapped?"

Tim's mother put a finger to her lips, signaling him to shush. "The next morning, the Headmaster of the Interstellar Academy was furious when he heard the news…"

* * *

><p>"How could this happen?" Thomas Smyth cried. "The whole perimeter was on guard, every nook and cranny was covered, there wasn't one place that didn't have a spacer on guard!"<p>

His wife Marie sat on the ottoman across his desk crying. The couple had discovered the following morning that their youngest daughter was kidnapped by the pirates Thomas had suspected to come into the Interstellar Domain. Other rooms in the mansion were also raided and some of their valuable items were missing, but Robin's was the only one that turned out completely depleted.

"We don't know how they got past us, sir," said the rock man Cornelius Arrow. "It was almost like they were invisible."

"That's impossible!"

"Thomas…" His wife looked over at him with her bloodshot eyes. Seeing her teary-eyed face made him calm down. It was an upsetting time for both of them.

"Dismissed, Lieutenant Arrow."

The rock man saluted before leaving his office. Thomas pinched the bridge of his nose. His daughter was kidnapped and they didn't even know how it happened. The pirates came and went taking a few valuables and Robin. "What to do…"

"Thomas, please…" Marie stood from her spot and went to her husband. "What are we going to do? The pirates are probably far across the Etherium going who-knows-where with our baby girl…"

"Marie, darling, calm down." He took her shoulders and had her face him. "We'll get her back. I'll send out the cadets and have them search everywhere."

"You're going to send out students? They're not as experienced as the Smyth soldiers and this is huge. How…"

"We need the Smyth soldiers to stay here and protect the town and the school. And I think some of the cadets are ready. Just leave everything to me, Marie." The Sylph man craned his neck down and kissed his wife gently. "Everything will be okay. Now chin up." Thomas wiped away tears falling down her face. Then he headed toward his office doors. "I'll be back."

"Wait, Thomas. I think that… I think Robin knew this would happen. She was so jittery the other day, I knew she was hiding something."

"Why do you think she would hide something like that from us?"

"To not have us worrying like we are now."

He grunted. "Well, it's too late for that. And I'm going to undo everything that's happened now and get our daughter back."

When the superintendent left, Marie walked up to the large window behind the desk. She could see all of their loyal soldiers lined up in front of the edifice, waiting for their commanding officer to give them their next orders. They were needed to protect the school and the town while some of the students were going out to find Robin subtly. She didn't want to risk the lives of any of the students in the Academy, but if it was the only way to get her daughter back, then she was going to stand by her husband's decision.

A plant pot stood on the ledge of the window. Marie saw that the flower was wilting over. She put her hand over the plant, emitting a warm aura over it. When she took her hand away, the plant arose.

"You are our only hope," she said to the flower. "As long as you're safe, so will she..."

* * *

><p>Jim couldn't believe his ears. The Headmaster's daughter was kidnapped by the pirates invading the area, and then they suddenly disappeared? That seemed very improbable because of the security they had last night. Some of the senior cadets even had to take shifts with the Smyth soldiers. But it happened, and now he and his classmates were going to class as if nothing happened.<p>

And even though he hadn't actually talked to the girl, he felt a connection with her every time he spotted her from the mansion balcony. Now that she was gone, it was as if he lost a dear friend, almost like déjà vu.

"So, your girlfriend's gone," Eddie said.

"Ed, I don't think now's the time to be making jokes," Richard warned him.

"What—oh." The two looked at melancholy friend who was merely staring up ahead. Even though his face looked emotionless, his eyes were extremely sad. "Sorry, Jim." Jim didn't respond. "Say something! You're making me feel guilty!"

"…"

"Maybe we should leave him be. It's obvious he has a lot on his mind."

Eddie stopped pestering Jim. He had never been around Jim when he acted this way. And he knew joking around wasn't something he should be doing right now. "Come on, Jim. Don't feel so down. Hey! If you're lucky, maybe you'll be able to help find her."

"In what galaxy?" Jim snapped. "I'm not qualified to go on a mission as big as this yet, Eddie."

"Ha! You talked!"

Jim sighed. "If you're trying to cheer me up, it's not working. The only way Headmaster Smyth would allow me to go on a mission to get his daughter back was if all of the Smyth soldiers were eaten by bonza beasts."

"Hawkins, Gilligan, Smollet." The three cadets turned to see Lionel walking towards them. "You have been summoned by Master Smyth."

Richard and Eddie looked at Jim. "Congratulations, Hawkins: all of the Smyth soldiers are dead."

Lionel escorted them to the superintendent's office. When the cadets saw their Headmaster, they were horrified. Headmaster Smyth looked furious. They never saw their headmaster this mad before; of course, this was the first time one of his daughters was ever kidnapped by pirates. Jim felt terrible when he looked at his superintendent; he felt it was his fault that his daughter was gone. Maybe he did a shady job, maybe he should've taken a first shift, he didn't know. Thinking about it just made him feel guiltier.

As he looked upon his fellow cadets, Headmaster Smyth wasn't so sure if he should through with his plan. But he needed to get his daughter back and he trusted these students; well, he trusted two of them.

"Richard Smollet, Edward Gilligan, and James Hawkins, I have called you three here because I have a very important mission for you. I know that you haven't graduated yet and you may not think you're ready for this, but after looking at your records, I see that you three are qualified for going on this voyage.

"The three of you, along with several other cadets, will search for my daughter." The three cadets didn't seem the least bit shocked although Jim did seem a little suspicious. "We have a few leads, but it's up to you to find where she is. Can I count on you three?"

"Yes, sir!" they all replied in unison.

"Good. You'll be leaving effective immediately. Dismissed." Eddie and Richard saluted before leaving. Jim stayed behind. "Is there something wrong, Jim?"

Jim took a deep, shaky breath before confessing, "I'm sorry, sir. It's just… I feel as if I let you down…" His eyes suddenly felt watery but he kept the tears back. Jim hated crying, especially in front of other people, but he couldn't help it when he was so frustrated with himself.

As the young cadet wiped his tears away, he didn't notice as Headmaster Smyth came over and rubbed his shoulder empathetically. "It's alright, Jim. None of this is your fault. If there's anyone to blame it's me. Now," he said as he patted his shoulder, "go get ready for your journey. You'll be leaving soon."

Jim saluted to his commanding officer. "Yes, sir!"

After the cadet left, he sighed. Jim was an interesting young man, and he was positive choosing him for this mission was a good decision. From Captain Amelia Smollet's review, he was experienced in this field, and now that he sent him off, all he could do was hope that his daughter would be returned to him safely.

* * *

><p>"Finally some action!" Tim exclaimed.<p>

"Wait, wait, wait," his mother said. "The action hasn't even started yet. And don't you want to know what happened to Robin?"

The little boy shrugged. "Is it going to take long? I want to hear about Jim kicking pirate butt!" Tim began jumping on his bed making sound effects from his mouth.

"Now you are much too young to be using such language, young man. Maybe you should stop hanging around the docks with Eric." His mother caught his son and set him back down on the bed. "Now, before Jim and his friends went on their mission, someone else had gotten to Robin first."

"What? But Jim was s'posed to get to get to her first!" Tim exclaimed. "Who found her first? Who? Who? Who?"

* * *

><p>Robin couldn't believe her ears. Her vision came true; she shouldn't have been surprised because all of her visions had always came true. But experiencing it was extremely scary. When she woke up, she heard the eerie voice from her vision. Her mouth was tied with the same gag that tasted like sewage and she smelled the same stench that made her want to vomit. Her limbs were cramped in the chest she was jammed in.<p>

Suddenly, she felt something furry squirming out of her nightgown. "KiKi?" When she heard the little chirrup, she nearly cried. "KiKi, try to climb around and chew off the rope around my wrists." The little ferret chirped angrily. "Well, can you at least try?" She got her answer when KiKi receded back into her nightgown. "Some help you are."

The condition of her cramped space didn't get any better when she was knocked over. Some shouts, the clash of metal, and a few shots from a plasma gun were heard. The darkness became lighter and Robin was able to feel more space above her. Someone suddenly opened the bag—her savior—and pulled her out. She was soon unfettered, free to move on her own. When her ropes were cut, KiKi climbed out of her nightgown and onto her shoulder.

"Thank you," she said. Her rescuer was a female Felinid. "Who are you?"

"The name's Amelia Doppler," she replied.

"Doppler? As in Dr. Delbert Doppler and Captain Amelia Smollet?"

"Yes indeed. As a matter of fact, the doctor is waiting for us on deck. Are you Isabel Smyth?" Robin nodded surprised that this person knew her name. "Then let's get you off this blasted ship, shall we?"

Robin didn't hesitate as the Felinid led her out onto the deck where many unconscious pirates laid. A Canid who Robin assumed was Dr. Doppler himself was waiting for them just as Amelia said. "Let's go, darling. Who knows how long these rapscallions will stay insentient."

"R-R-Right!" The shaken man ran ahead of him towards a plank leading to another ship.

Robin hesitated to get on the plank but she quickly crossed it so she wouldn't get left behind. On the deck of the ship, the young woman stumbled upon another woman. She had lovely brown hair and blue eyes that reminded her of a certain cadet from her father's Academy. Three little Felinid kittens and a Canid pup abruptly joined them along with a spasmodic robot.

"Mum, who's this?" the blonde kitten asked.

"Now, now, let's not have our guests get too excited. She needs her rest." Dr. Doppler gathered the children and the four of them left the deck, leaving Amelia, Robin, the other woman, and the robot, alone.

"Isabel, this is Ms. Sarah Hawkins," Amelia quickly introduced. "She'll be taking care of you until we get you home. And this is B.E.N., our Bio-Electronic Navigator. Now, I'll leave you two," she gestured to Sarah and Robin, "so you can get better acquainted with each other. B.E.N., come with me."

"It was nice meeting ya, Isabel!" the robot said as he abruptly shook her hand. And with that said, the Felinid and robot left to join her family.

Robin glanced at the woman hesitantly. Everything was happening so fast: first she was kidnapped in the middle of the night by pirates, then the most prominent spacer and her husband, the famous astrophysicist, saved her life, and now she was left in the care of this middle-aged woman. Sarah's eyes held compassion, like the compassion of a mother, and aged beauty. And as she looked into her azure eyes, she had a feeling she knew she could trust this woman.

"Let's get you into some new clothes, dear," Sarah said. The older woman took her arm and led her to her own room. "Here." She gave Robin a new gown. "I hope it fits."

"Thank you, Ms. Hawkins. I really hope I'm not a burden."

"Please, call me Sarah. And no, you're not." Sarah sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her for Robin to sit. "Isabel—"

"Call me Robin."

"Alright, Robin. I know everything may be happening too fast for you, but it's okay. I just want you to know if you need anything, I'm here for you."

Robin nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate that." She was very grateful to have Sarah with her at the moment. The older woman reminded her of her own mother. She wondered how her mother was doing right now and how worried she was when she found out she was missing. She was probably devastated. Her father was probably much worse. And she wondered how these people found her so easily. "I still have a few questions," she said but she was quickly interrupted when a yawn erupted from her lips.

"Maybe you should wait in the morning. We'll be arriving on Montressor soon, so we'll have to arrange for you to return to Astral as soon as we…"

Sarah stopped and smiled when she saw the young woman fall asleep. Robin's arms were wrapped around the gown Sarah gave her, subconsciously. The little creature that was on her shoulder was nestled against her neck, slumbering along with her master. Sarah gently put a blanket over the girl and walked out of the room soundlessly.

This poor girl was exhausted from this long, terrible night, and she felt for her sympathetically. When she first saw her, she didn't look scared, only confused, like a lost child. There was so much of Jim she saw in this girl, it was almost like she was taking care of him again. It felt nice taking care of someone as if they were her own. There was also the Doppler Quartet, but they weren't of her own species. She had a feeling this girl was special, otherwise, why would a bunch of brute pirates want to kidnap her?

Amelia knew. She knew something and she was keeping it from them all, but Sarah knew better than to pry. If it was important, the Felinid would inform her immediately. Right now, all she had to worry about was getting a good night's rest to open her inn tomorrow.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	5. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 4

**Tale 1: **_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 4**

Jim packed as fast and as efficient as he could so he could arrive at the ship first. He was determined to make this mission a success to make up for his failure. Morph watched from afar as his roommate ran around the room grabbing random items and setting them in his bag.

"Well," Jim said when he was done, "I'm off, Morph." Before he could reach the door, the little pink blob flew in front of him. "Sorry, buddy, but I have to leave. If I'm not there in time—" Morph transformed into a miniature Lionel. "He won't catch you if you stay quiet and out of sight. I won't be gone long. I left plenty of food for you to last until I get back. And do _not_ leave this room no matter what, _comprendé_?"

Morph morphed back and nodded happily. "_Comprendé_! _Comprendé_!"

Jim patted the morph fondly. "I'll see you in a few days, buddy." When the young cadet left the room, the little blob whimpered.

Jim shortly met up with his friends before they arrived at the docks. The ship they were expected to use was named the _HMS Bloodhound_. It was a large ship, Jim thought, probably bigger than the _RLS Legacy_. Eddie whistled. "What a beauty."

"I can't believe it," Richard murmured. "This is Headmaster Smyth's fastest ship. I feel honored."

"It's been a long time since I've boarded a ship like this," Jim said. "It feels really good."

"Do you think Headmaster Smyth would kill us if it were to be damaged on our voyage?"

Eddie snickered. "That's the least of ours worries. We're not the only ones who are going on this mission, you know. We'll be stuck with other people we've probably never seen in this school. I just hope Smyth didn't pick out some lily-livered, spineless—"

"Care to complete that statement, Gilligan?" Eddie was suddenly pulled into a headlock. "I thought we went over this."

"Hey! Leggo!"

Jim and Richard didn't know what to do. The boy wrestling their shaggy blonde friend had four arms and was much bigger than they were. Eddie was on his own.

"We have more company," Richard informed Jim.

The two turned to see the other cadets who would be joining them on their voyage. The one in the front had horns sticking from his temples, a few whiskers on his chin, and a devilish smirk. Behind him was a monkey boy with a bandana on his head. A girl, the only human-looking one in the group, stood on the other side of the leader with her arms crossed. When Jim looked closer, he saw that she had scales and gills on her neck. She obviously didn't look pleased being assigned on a mission with a bunch of boys.

"Terrance, let him go," the horned boy ordered. "Wait until we get on board."

The four-armed boy complied and let Eddie fall to the ground mercilessly. "What the heck, Terrance…!" Eddie yelled.

"You know this guy, Ed?" Jim asked.

"You don't remember Terrance, Hawkins?" the leader said in mocking disappointment. "You stood up to him on your first day at the Academy, and then you humiliated me."

"I'm sorry, what? I don't remember either of you…" Jim tried to remember his first day at the Interstellar Academy. It was the day he was introduced to Richard by Captain Amelia and later they both ran into wily Eddie. The events after that suddenly came rushing back to him. "Oh, it's you guys." Jim smirked. "Terrance Schwartz and Wayne Baxter. I haven't seen you two since you were in temporary suspension."

Wayne growled. "Watch it, Hawkins. You don't know who's in charge of this mission, yet."

"He's right, Jim," Richard said. "They can't be the only ones coming with us. There has to be more men."

The girl cleared her throat.

"And women."

Jim sighed. "Fine," he sneered at Wayne. "Let's just see who's in charge when everyone's here."

* * *

><p>"I don't like Wayne or Terrance," Tim said. "They seem like a bunch of baddies."<p>

His mother giggled at his word choice. "No, they're not a nice bunch, are they?"

"Jim should be the captain so he can beat them up!"

"Now, now. You know the captain is much more civil than that. As the officer in command, it is their duty to lead their crew, not beat them up whenever it pleases them. And choosing the captain wasn't that simple. Since this mission was to retrieve his daughter, Headmaster Smyth had to choose someone who could lead an entire crew and keep them in check…"

* * *

><p>Ten more people joined the group later on making the crew a total of seventeen people, all but one were men. The one scaled girl stood begrudgingly in the front while the crew awaited their orders.<p>

A boy by the name of Jones stood in the middle of the group with a round, golden object. The top opened up and a holograph of Headmaster Smyth appeared. The cadets stood silently and waited for him to speak:

"_Greetings, young cadets. As you may already be aware of, you have been assigned to a rescue mission. You are to return my daughter back to the Interstellar Academy safe and sound. Before you begin your quest, I'd like to assign your captain. As the captain, it is your responsibility to have your crew work together and keep the ship intact. You also pick the other positions in the crew, such as your first mate and even the cabin boy._"

Jim couldn't help but roll his eyes. He knew everything there was to know about being the captain of a crew. He also knew that he was one of the few cadets who actually had the experience of working on a ship with a crew. If he wasn't the captain, he had to be something close; he would absolutely _not_ be a cabin boy again. But if he wasn't the captain, it wouldn't be up to him.

"_But regardless of the captain's orders, every position in this crew is very important, even the cabin boy. Now, the captain of this crew will be Raphael Jones. He will be responsible for everyone's safety and everyone will obey his edict on his voyage. I'm counting on all of you to cooperate and return successful. Good luck._"

When the holograph disappeared, Jones began to take charge.

His orders were clear and simple: get ready to pull off into the Etherium. Everyone had to put away their things before they got ready to sail off, so everyone ran to their cabins. It was first come first serve when it came to cabins, and Eddie, Richard, and Jim were lucky enough to get a room for just the three of them. Unfortunately, Wayne and Terrance's room was across from theirs.

"Yay," Eddie cheered apathetically. "I doubt they'll want to come over to borrow cups of sugar."

"At least the whole crew doesn't have to share the same cabin," Jim said gratefully. "It would've been hell."

"Why's that?"

"Because Jim's the only one of us who's actually had any experience on a ship," Richard said.

"Oh, yeah. Treasure Planet: the Loot of a Thousand Worlds. I remember when you told us that story." Eddie jumped on his bunk and put his hands behind his head comfortably. "Tell us Jim—what was it like to share the same brig with a bunch of foul scalawags?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "If you want to know so bad, why don't you share a bunk with Terrance. I'm sure there's plenty of room."

Eddie grimaced. "On second thought, I'm more comfortable staying here on the bottom bunk."

"I'll take the top!" Richard claimed. The agile Felinid jumped to the top bunk without using the ladder. The two humans didn't expect any less from the cat boy.

"If you guys are done," Jones said, suddenly entering their room, "let's get back on deck and get ready to sail off."

"Yes, sir!" Jim and Richard replied.

Eddie on the other hand didn't salute his commanding officer. "Sure thing, cap."

Jones raised an eyebrow at his audacity. "I think I know who has the honor of being our new cabin boy, _Edward Gilligan_."

When the captain left, Jim and Richard turned to their gutsy friend. "What?" he said. "Raph and I are cool; we've known each other since we first entered the Academy. I'm sure he was just kidding."

"This is a serious mission, Eddie," Jim said. "Jones isn't the type a guy to joke around when it comes to his duty. You should know that. You've known him long enough."

Eddie sat erect at this realization. "Oh crap."

Jim was halfway through the door when he said, "Have fun scraping the mussels off the ship."

Jim left his friends to finish settling into their new cabin as he walked back up to the main deck. Most of the crew was up and about getting ready to sail off into the Etherium. The young cadet was suddenly filled with much joy and nostalgia as he breathed in the air of the Etherium. It was like déjà vu; three years ago, he was just getting ready to leave his home to look for Treasure Planet, something he had always dreamed of doing ever since he was a child. Now he was on his way to look for a missing girl, someone who happened to very valuable to the pirates who kidnapped her.

"Move aside, Hawkins!" Wayne suddenly shoved Jim aside as he pulled the sail.

"Just like old times," Jim sighed.

"Hawkins." He turned to see the captain again. Now that he had the chance, he began to analyze his commanding officer. Jones was human just like him, except he was about a head taller than he was, probably as tall as Richard. He was also very brawny. Under his hat, Jim saw dark brown hair. His eyes were hazel and stern.

Jim heard many things about Jones around school, although he never actually met the older boy before. The biggest rumor was that he was also one of the only cadets who had been part of a crew before he entered the Interstellar Academy. From his brawny muscles, Jim could tell that he had been on a lot more voyages than him. Headmaster Smyth made the right decision appointing him as the captain of this crew.

"Headmaster Smyth told me that you've already experienced being part of a real crew," Jones said. "So I'm guessing you already know most of the ropes."

"Truth be told, when I was on the ship, I was the cabin boy," Jim confessed shyly.

"Experience is experience. I'm sure you helped with plenty of other things. And as a fellow buccaneer, I'd be honored to have you as my first mate."

Jim did a double take. "W-What?" he stammered.

"You heard me, Hawkins. There aren't too many people in this crew, but with your help, I think we'll be able to make this mission a success."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just think about it. It's fine if you don't want this position. I'll just appoint it to Wayne Baxter…"

Jim wasn't one to hold a grudge—well, maybe a little—but he wouldn't allow Wayne to be the first mate. The first mate was in charge of keeping the crew in check when the captain wasn't around. If Wayne was the first mate, he'd probably make this a very miserable experience for him and his friends.

"I'll do it," he said assuredly.

Jones smirked. "Glad to have you aboard. Now come join me up on the quarter deck. We're about to head off."

"Aye, captain!"

Once they were on the quarter deck, Jones began shouting orders. "Prepare to cast off! All hands to station!"

Everybody went to work. The monkey boy Jim saw earlier, along with many other crew members including Richard, began to climb up the masts to loosen the sails. Richard almost appeared to be enjoying himself, but Jim expected no less from a cat.

When the sails were unfolded, the ship began to float into the sky. The solar sails glistened in the light of the sun. As they entered the atmosphere, the gravity began to fail and Jim could feel his feet come off the ground. "Engage the artificial gravity, Ivan!"

A Flatula boy saluted to his commanding officer before pushing down the gravity dispenser, which activated the artificial gravity.

Then Jones turned to the man at the helm. "South by southwest, Casey. Heading 2-1-0-0."

"Aye, captain," the lizard-like cadet replied. "2-1-0-0."

As he turned the ship, Jones spoke into a foghorn that went into the engine room. "Take her away, Terrance!" Then he turned to his first mate. "Brace yourself, Hawkins."

Jim didn't need to be told twice. He remembered how fast the _RLS Legacy_ moved when it flew into the Etherium. He was prepared. He could hear the ship rev as it arranged itself for full flight. He liked the feel of its purr under his boots. He closed his eyes as he felt the Etherium breeze rush past him. When he opened them again, Jim saw the infinite stars in the sky and the galactic orcas that flew past them. "Whoa."

"How's it feel to be in the Etherium again, Hawkins?"

"It feels… amazing."

* * *

><p>"Mom, this story is starting to sound awful familiar." Tim looked at his mother suspiciously.<p>

"Shush!" His mother glared at him. "If you keep interrupting me, I'm going to have to send you to bed."

He turned stiff. "Okay, I'll be quiet."

She smiled once more before continuing her story. "Now, as I was saying…"

* * *

><p>The crew was already about over fifty miles away from Astral and they hadn't been able to trace the pirates yet. They didn't have many sources besides the map that was provided for them. Astral wasn't close to many planets, so they assumed the pirates couldn't have gotten far. Jim tried to think of another way to track the pirates down, but nothing came to mind so far.<p>

He joined his friends to ask if they had any ideas, but he was only welcomed by whining from his blonde friend.

"This isn't fair," Eddie griped. "How come you get to be Jones's first mate, but I'm stuck with the duties of a simple cabin boy?"

"It's on your head, Ed, for not respecting Jones's authority," Jim said. "This crew is small, and everyone has a job. We all have to do what we can to keep this ship running. Besides, would you rather switch jobs with Richard?"

Eddie grimaced. "Naw. I rather be done with than up there on lookout. I'm no good with heights. That's more of a cat thing, anyway. But I'd prefer if Jones assigned to something fit for my skills." Eddie sighed heavily as he mopped port. "There's only one perk to being cabin boy, anyway; you get to work with the cabin girl."

"Cabin girl?" Richard questioned.

"Jones assigned Marina to work on deck with Eddie," Jim explained. "There aren't enough people on this crew to fulfill just one job, and with the shortage of crew members, he thought it would be better if two people helped clean the ship instead of one." He pointed over to the other side of the ship where Marina was mopping.

"I see." The two saw how Eddie glanced at Marina. "Are you really going to try and flirt with her on this mission?"

"Well, yeah. Why not?"

"I don't think you should do that," Jim said. "Marina doesn't like men, and she's been in a crabby mood ever since she found out she was going to be the only girl on this crew. Don't make a move on the first day. In fact, I just wouldn't approach her at all, if I were you." He gave his friend a cautioning look to reassure his warning.

"Fine, fine."

"Watch where you mop, freak!" Terrance suddenly cried out. The three boys looked to starboard to see the four-armed boy standing over the Aquarius girl who accidentally mopped over his boots. She merely smirked at the boy drolly as she leaned on her mop.

"Freak? I'm not the one with two extra limbs," Marina retorted.

Terrance looked about ready to slug that girl, until Eddie decided to interfere and throw his murky bucket at him. The boy pale glared at him as he wiped away the dirty water. "_Gilligan…_"

"Not my fault you were on the wrong side of the ship, Terrance," Eddied chided. "Try the poop deck. That's where most of the crap belongs."

The four-armed boy growled and grabbed the smaller boy by his shirt. "What'd you say?"

"Hey, Terrance," Jim said firmly, "knock it off."

He snarled at the first mate before releasing the scrawny blonde. "You're lucky you're Jones's lackey, Hawkins."

After Terrance left, Eddie got up from the ground and turned to Marina. The brunette didn't look too happy. "Yeah, you're welcome," he said haughtily. Jim and Richard face-palmed. Eddie had no idea how much trouble he was getting himself into. "You know, I have to deal with Terrance's crap all the time, so if you run into him again, I think I can help you."

"I didn't _need_ your help," she lashed out. Eddie noted her accent as she venomously spoke to him. It was sharp and, in Eddie's opinion, her intimidating tone made her seem more attractive. "Next time, stay out of my business." The Aquarius swung her mop over her shoulder and some of the murky water slapped him in the face. Then she saluted to Jim respectfully before leaving the boys again.

"Did you _not_ hear what I just said?" Jim reprimanded his friend.

"She was in trouble, so I decided to help her. What was wrong with that?"

"Marina can handle herself, Eddie. That's why Headmaster Smyth added her to the crew. She's a combat specialist, one of the best in the Academy."

"Why didn't you mention that before?"

"I thought my first warning would've been enough. I didn't want to scare you."

"Ha! Nothing can scare Edward Conroy Gilligan!" He smiled at Marina, who glared at him with intent. "Except maybe her."

"And Terrance," Richard added.

Eddie frowned at him. "I'm done for today." He handed the mop over to the Felinid. "I'll be in the cabin till dinnertime." He went below deck to return to the cabins.

Jim sighed. "Do you mind, Richard?"

"Fine."

Jim left Richard to finish Eddie's job and went after his blonde friend. "Look, Eddie, I need you to be serious right now. You're the best tracker in the Interstellar Academy. You've pulled so many pranks in your time and gotten away with them all. We need your skills to find the trail of the pirates."

Eddie smiled mischievously. "Finally, a _real_ job. Come with me."

The crafty boy lead Jim to their room. Once inside, he shut the door so no one could look inside and made sure the perimeter was clear before reaching under the mattress of his bunk. He pulled out a black bag and poured out a white substance.

"What is that?" Jim asked.

"Kinapis powder."

"Kinapis what?"

"It's the stuff they used to put in old rifles. They used it to make shots sharper and clearer. When plasma guns were invented, they got rid of the rifles, but the powder still has some practical uses on its own." He led his friend back outside all the way up to the poop deck. "One of them is viscosity. Kinapis powder is the most viscous powder you'll ever find in the galaxy. Even the littlest amount can show off the least obvious trails, even in outer space." When Eddie poured the bit of powder overboard, a dusty trail from behind the ship appeared. "_Voilà_!"

"Eddie, you're a genius!"

Eddie smirked. "Easy as pi."

* * *

><p>Thanks to Eddie, the crew was able to find the trail of the pirates within the first day of their expedition. However, they were still so far behind. When the time for them to retire came, the cadets began taking shifts. When Jim, Eddie, and Richard's shift came around, they went their separate ways and patrolled different parts of a ship. Richard was lookout on the top mast. Eddie was on the quarter deck. Jim decided to take the forecastle deck.<p>

"Hey!" Jim heard Eddie yell to him.

"Shush, Eddie!" Jim hissed. "Are you crazy? Everyone else is asleep, and the captain's quarters are right there!"

"Sorry." Eddie jumped down and joined him at the bow of the ship. "I was just wondering, why are we doing this again?"

"What do you mean?"

"Taking shifts? Isn't that a fulltime gig?"

"No. We all need the rest and taking shifts makes it fair. You've never really been on a ship before, have you?"

"Only once when I was ten. My dad used to work at the spaceports. I accidentally snuck onto a ship and found a load of Kinapis powder."

"That explains so much."

"Yeah, um, you won't tell anyone about that, will you?" Eddie asked, rubbing his neck nervously.

A whistle suddenly came from the crow's nest. Richard climbed down by one of the shrouds and ran up to them. "The trail is leading us to another planet," he informed them. "I'm guessing the pirates stopped there."

"How can you see anything? It's pitch dark."

"I'm a Felinid."

Eddie merely blinked.

"Figure it out on your own time, Ed," Jim said. "Which planet is it? Did you recognize it?"

"It was hard to make out, even with my eyes. See for yourself."

Richard handed him his telescope. Jim looked into the Etherium and saw a little crescent-shaped light—he was barely able to make out the image. As the ship sailed closer, he could see the crescent shape was more like a moon. The moon had a few specks flying to and fro. "I think I know where they're headed," he finally said.

"Where?" his two friends asked simultaneously.

Jim removed the telescope from his eye and said remorsefully, "The Montressor spaceport."

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	6. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 5

**Tale 1: **_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 5**

Robin thought it was just an illusion. It was just a speck of dust in my peripheral vision, that's all, she kept telling herself. But once she looked back into the sky, she saw it, and it was very real. It was the same pirate ship that she was imprisoned in the night before. The pirates had come back and they were still after her.

The young woman and her ferret companion KiKi were the only ones who seemed to notice the ship because Miss Sarah, Captain Amelia, her husband the doctor, and the B.E.N. didn't even look up. Not even any of the passersby noticed the suspicious craft enter the loading dock. Of course, not too many paid attention to the ships except for their own, especially at a spaceport.

There were too people on the Montressor spaceport; she doubted the pirates would be able to find her in this enormous crowd. But seeing the ship didn't conceal her fear. She was glad to have finally boarded the ship that was taking them to the home planet.

Sarah suddenly grabbed her hand. "Don't stop moving, dear," she said to the young woman. "You can get easily lost in this crowd."

Robin didn't need to be told twice. She noticed then that they were suddenly separated from the rest of the group. "Where are the others?"

"Don't worry. We'll see them soon. If not on this boarding ship, then on another one."

Her grip on Sarah's hand tightened.

As soon as they were on the ship, Sarah released her hand. "We'll be on Montressor in about twenty minutes. As soon as we get there, we can arrange for you to return to Astral." She pushed Robin to the side when a larger alien-like passenger boarded. "I'll take you to a cabin, for now. You can stay there until we arrive."

They had to navigate past many other passengers as they headed towards the cabins. Robin looked apologetically at a man whose foot she accidentally stepped on. She was glad she wouldn't see that man ever again.

Once they were at the cabin, Robin stayed as far away from the door as possible.

"This must be your first time on a ship," Sarah commented.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Quite."

KiKi, noticing her distress, climbed onto her neck and purred. Robin petted her compassionately. "Thank you, KiKi. I'm glad we're still together."

"Your little friend is cute," Sarah said. KiKi chirped at the compliment and jumped onto the older woman's shoulders. She petted the ferret as she nuzzled her cheek. "Such an affectionate little…"

"She's a ferret," Robin told her. "A Cloaking Ferret. She prefers KiKi, though."

The floor of the cabin suddenly vibrated. "The ship is sailing off."

"Good," Robin mumbled.

"Can't wait to go home?"

The young woman immediately looked up at Sarah astonished. "Oh, no! That's not what I meant."

"I'm only kidding, dear. Don't worry."

"I'll be honest… I actually don't want to go home right now."

"You don't?"

Robin shook her head. "Being kidnapped by those pirates was scary, I admit, but I don't know when I'm ever going to be able to leave Astral again. This is my one chance at adventure, my one chance at freedom."

"I see…"

Sarah should've suspected this. She knew from the start Robin had as much spirit as Jim when he was a little boy. She craved excitement and danger—not necessarily now after her kidnapping—and she especially yearned for freedom. Being the daughter of a nobleman was very restricting.

"You won't send me back to Astral immediately after we arrive on Montressor, will you?" Robin's eyes gleamed with hope.

"Well, I can't just keep you. I mean, I could let you stay in my inn for a while, but after, you need to go home. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

Sarah nearly had the wind knocked out of her when the young woman hugged her. "Thank you so much, Sarah."

"No problem, dear. But while you're staying at my inn, I expect you to do some work."

"Of course! I wouldn't expect my stay to be free."

Sarah smiled. She was glad to have this girl around. She would have human companionship and a free worker.

* * *

><p>Jim didn't want to believe it. The pirates they were after were at the Montressor spaceport. They were so close to his home, it scared him. They could hurt his family and other innocent people. He hoped the crew could get to them before anything like that could happen.<p>

Jones ordered the crew to separate so they could cover more ground. The crowd was large and those swashbuckling rogues could've been anywhere. As usual, Jim and his friends were in their own little group searching around the port. While they were at it, Eddie decided to pit pocket a few unfortunate souls who didn't suspect it. Richard quickly caught him before he got away.

"You're a spacer, not a thief," Richard reminded him.

Eddie didn't heed mind. "Technically, we're not spacers yet. We're merely cadets."

"On a mission to return the Headmaster's daughter. This quest was meant for a real crew. It's a test of our courage, stealth, teamwork—"

"Speaking of which," Eddie interrupted, "isn't Jim going a little fast?" The two were practically running so they could catch up with their hasty friend. "Jim, where's the fire? Why are you walking so fast?"

Jim stopped, nearly making his friends bump into each other. "Do you know where we are, Eddie?" Eddie never got a chance to answer because Jim continued, "This is the Montressor spaceport. That's not even a light year away from Montressor! They're so close to my home; I'm going to make sure we catch them before they get a chance to get there."

"Calm down, Jim." Richard grabbed his shoulder. "Something obviously led them here. I doubt they'll go to your home planet if they can't find what they're looking for."

Jim sighed. He was getting carried away. Sure, he was certain to successfully finish this mission without delay, but there were so many things to consider, like the Headmaster's daughter's safety and his family's safety, but if he was too hasty, he could also put his friends at risk. "You're right, Richard. Maybe you should lead the group. You're the only one of us who's sane right now."

"What are you talking about?" Eddie said offended. "I'm sane!" His friends looked at him exceedingly. "Sort of."

"Eddie, you're not being serious right now."

"Of course I am! I hate how you guys always—"

"Shh!" Richard's ears perked up and his nose caught a familiar scent.

"What is it?" Jim inquired.

"No, it can't be…"

"What can't be?" Eddie urged.

Richard ignored his friends and followed the scent.

"How can he smell anything in this crowd? There's a jungle of smells in this place!" Richard abruptly stopped when they were on the docks again. "Richie, you led us back to where we started! What is it that you're looking for?"

The Felinid pointed to the ship in front of them. Jim widened when he saw the name. "The _RLS Legacy_."

"What?"

"Captain Amelia's family and my mom are here."

Eddie scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything. This is a _spaceport_; it's the only place they can leave the ship. They gotta be on Montressor by now."

"Well, well," a familiar buoyant voice said. "It's been awhile since you've been home, hasn't it, Mr. Hawkins?" The cadets turned around to see the feline captain of the _RLS Legacy_.

"Captain Amelia!" they murmured in unison.

"JIM!" The unsuspecting young man was attacked by Dynamic Doppler Quartet. Then they saw Richard. "RICHIE!"

"Children, at ease!" The kits and the pup jumped off the cadets and lined up in front of their mother. "Now you know that is not how we behave, is it?"

"No ma'am!" they answered together.

"Now return to your father and prepare to set sail!" They saluted to their mother before going to the doctor. "I'm sorry about that, boys. They're always excited to see their favorite uncles."

"It's alright," Richard said. "It's only been two days since we saw them."

Jim looked around cautiously. "Where's B.E.N.?" he asked slowly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Hawkins. The children jumping on you was caustic enough. Adding 50 pounds of metal would've been a scathing experience. Now, why are you boys at the Montressor spaceport? Have you decided to come home to celebrate your birthday, Jim?"

"Headmaster Smyth offered to let you go home?" Eddie asked. Richard's face was filled with just as much shock as Eddie's.

Jim ignored their looks. "No, we're on a mission."

"Really now?"

"Yes, ma'am. Do you think you can help us?" Richard asked.

"Um, Jim, Richard, can I talk to you two for a sec?" Edward took his partners into huddle. "This a confidential mission. Do you really think we should tell her?"

"What are you talking? Headmaster Smyth never said anything about this mission being confidential," Jim pointed.

"It was implied, wasn't it?"

Jim and Richard glanced at each other. Eddie was somewhat right (for once). "But we can rely on my aunt," Richard affirmed. "She's the best spacer in the galaxy and the most reliable person we can count on."

"No offense, Richie, but your aunt's kind of… _soft_, having kits and a pup, and all. She may not have the skills she had years ago."

"I may have turned soft," Amelia suddenly spoke up, "but that doesn't mean I am no longer reliable."

The boys turned back to the ex-captain. "Well, um…"

"What is it that you boys need?" she asked as she gave Eddie a very stern look. The young man shuddered.

"Headmaster Smyth's daughter was kidnapped by pirates," Jim informed her. "We're on a search-and-rescue mission to find her and bring back her back to Astral unharmed."

"Thomas Smyth's little girl?" Amelia's eyes nearly widened. She knew how crucial for Thomas's daughter to stay away from brutish pirates, but what she wanted to know was why he sent a bunch of cadets to retrieve her and how she was abducted in the first place. It was lucky she was able to find her before something terrible happened.

"Headmaster Smyth had the Smyth soldiers stay on Astral to protect the Academy and the town," Richard said, answering her thoughts. "Thanks to Eddie, we were able to track the pirates here at the Montressor spaceport."

"The pirates are here?"

"Yes. The rest of the crew is also searching the perimeter. Hopefully they haven't gone too far."

Amelia thought for a moment. "I think I can help you boys. Come with us to Montressor."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we can't leave the crew—"

"Where is my mother?" Jim suddenly asked. "Is she still here?"

"No. I believe she's on her way to the home planet right now. She may already be there."

"Jim," Eddie said. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we should go to Montressor."

The two boys gawked at him. "Are you serious?"

"Jim, I know that you want to protect your family," Richard said, "but we can't just abandon the mission. You're Jones's first mate…" Amelia froze at the name. She heard it many times before, and she knew it wasn't a very nice name to hear. If her intuition was correct, then she needed to get these boys and her family off of the spaceport immediately.

"I'll tell Jones," said Jim.

"There isn't any time!" Amelia suddenly exclaimed. This surprised the boys, especially since they were aware of Amelia's experience as captain; she knew how important is was to uphold your position in the crew. "We need to get you boys out of here and on Montressor right away."

"We can't get there fast," Eddie asserted. "Not in this crowd."

Jim glanced back at the ship. "Maybe we can." The others looked at him for clarification. "We can get there on the _RLS Legacy_. I'm pretty sure when we rebuilt the Benbow that there was a port added on to it."

Amelia was awestricken. "You continue to impress every day, Mr. Hawkins. You need to show me this port once we arrive. I'll round up the others while you three prepare to sail off." The Felinid fled before they could even blink.

"Jim, are you insane?" Eddie inquired. "If we get caught…!"

"We're not going to get caught," Jim said affirmatively. "It's not like they can track us down. Plus it's for the cause of the mission. Captain Amelia said she could help us, and she may know something we don't. Let's just get ready before she comes back." Jim was already walking up the gangplank before his friends could interpret what he just said.

"Jones isn't going to like this," Eddie uttered to Richard. The Felinid nodded absentmindedly.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for Amelia to assemble her husband, the kids, and B.E.N.; when you've been captain your whole life working alongside swashbuckling rogues and an irrepressible crew, you had an intimidating affect on people. It took the robot much self-control not to bombard Jim with a bone-crushing hug.<p>

Jim manned the helm and started up the ship by himself while his friends watched in amazement. If Headmaster Smyth were to see him now, he'd be the valedictorian of the Interstellar Academy.

"Ready to sail this creaking top, Mr. Hawkins?" Amelia asked.

"Ready when you are, cap," he replied.

"Brace yourself, everyone!" Delbert and Amelia grabbed the children as the ship sailed off. The children weren't too accustomed to the motion of the ship, so it was hard for them to stay on their feet when the ship blasted off.

"Look at him," Eddie said gesturing to Jim. "He's like a kid riding his first solar-cycle."

"I know," Richard uttered. "It's like Jim was born to do this."

"I bet he won't let go until we're on Montressor."

And Eddie was right. (Unfortunately, they didn't make the bet official, so he didn't get a cent.) Jim didn't let go of the helm until they were at the port at the side of the Benbow Inn. Delilah, Delbert's slug-horse, jumped excitedly when she saw her master and his family. The children immediately ran to creature. Delbert went to attend to the children while Amelia stayed with the boys.

"Unfortunately, I can't stay with you boys. I have a few matters to take care of. I'm leaving you to B.E.N. Good luck on your mission." The Felinid left the boys to help her husband control their hyperactive children.

"It's great to have you back, Jimmy!" B.E.N. exclaimed when the intimidating captain was gone, hugging his pal with all his might.

"Alright, alright, B.E.N.! It's good to see you, too!" Jim squeezed out of his hug. "The inn's open, so my mother must already be here." He paused when he heard a few cheers. "And there seems to be a lot of customers."

"You and your friends can stay with us!"

"No way!" Eddie and Richard said. B.E.N. flinched.

"Go ahead, B.E.N.," Jim said. "We'll be in there soon." The robot reluctantly complied.

"Have you forgotten we're still on a mission?" Richard recapped.

"Not to mention Jones will have our hides when he finds out we left the spaceport without his consent!" Eddie glanced at Richard. "Well, your hide, our skins. And besides, what are the chances that we'll find the Headmaster's daughter on Montressor, anyway, no less at your mom's inn?"

"Pretty high, if you ask me," Jim replied. "Look, when the time comes, I'll take the heat for this. I'll tell Jones everything, but for now, how about we just go in the Benbow and formulate a new plan, in case the daughter isn't here."

Eddie and Richard exchanged wary glances.

"Fine," Eddie said. "But I'm telling you, when we walk through that door, she won't be there…"

Once Jim opened the door, the three found a boisterous blonde young woman running about, happily serving the alien customers at the Benbow Inn. The waitress stopped when she saw the cadets.

Jim gave his friends a smug look.

Eddie frowned. "Beginner's luck."

* * *

><p>Wayne and Terrance began their search elsewhere on the Montressor spaceport. They made their way over to very shady bar. Many devious crooks loitered around this place whenever they needed a place to stay on the port. The cadets had to meet someone here, but they had no idea who this person was.<p>

"Why'd they pick this place?" Terrance wondered. "This place is creepy."

"Don't be such a coward."

"Shut up."

When they entered the bar, they weren't surprised to see more crooked aliens inside than outside. At the far corner of the bar was a group of depraved men who were surrounding a table. Wayne gestured for them to go over. As they walked closer, the men stared menacingly at the boys.

"We're looking for Captain Jack," Wayne said.

"I believe you mean Captain Joseph, boy," an ominous voice corrected him. The men backed away to reveal a male Felinid with long back hair and shady red eyes with looming feline slits in them. "But Joseph is just fine." He took a shot of his drunk before he began talking again. "What is it that you boys want?"

"We're here on behalf of an associate," Wayne answered confidently. "Someone I'm sure you're very familiar with. He wanted us to inform you that we've something that you would like to acquire."

Captain Joseph leaned over the table. "What is it?"

Wayne put both hand on the table and leaned in closer to the Felinid. "The location of the treasure of Divinia."

Joseph leaned back again. "Take a seat boys. We have a lot to talk about…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	7. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 6

**Tale 1: **_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 6**

Robin loved working at the Benbow Inn. Sometimes she would assist the servants and cooks back home when her parents weren't aware; it proved to be very useful right now. She was doing her job excellently.

She had Sarah to thank for that. Since she just opened up the inn for the day, they were the only ones there. Everyone must've loved the Benbow Inn because as soon as it was open, people began storming in. Sarah started showing her the ropes when they began working, but Robin already seemed to know what to do. Sarah was glad when the young woman immediately went to work. She couldn't imagine doing this job alone, and Robin proved to be a very competent worker. Sending her back to the Interstellar Academy suddenly seemed hard to grasp.

Even though she only worked there for several hours, Robin was adapted to being a waitress. She thought she'd be able to stay for a while, probably for a day, but when she saw the cadets at the door, she knew her dream had crumbled.

Robin recognized the three cadets, but she was paying more attention to the one in the middle. He was the same cadet she saw every morning on the Solarium balcony back home. They knew each other—not personably, but in another sense, they were relatively acquainted with each other. And when green and blue orbs met, Robin stood frozen in place, completely vulnerable.

It wasn't until Sarah blocked her view of the boys when their eye contact was disconnected and she was broken out of her trance. "Thank you, Sarah," she breathed. She put away her tray and ran up the stairs.

"Jim, dear!" she heard Sarah say. "What an unexpected surprise! Have you changed your mind about…" That was all she heard before she ran up the stairs.

…

Jim knew it wasn't an illusion. He saw the girl. As soon as their eyes met, he felt chemistry and familiarity. She recognized him, he knew it. Even though they never talked to each other, they were somehow connected on an intimate level.

He would've made the first move. He would've stepped in, confronted her, and spoken the first words he ever exchanged with her, but he was too spellbound by her mesmerizing emerald eyes… until his mother decided to step in and sever their connection.

"Jim dear!" she exclaimed. "What an unexpected surprise! Have you changed your mind about your birthday?"

"_Mom, please_," Jim seethed, slightly mad that she blocked his view of the girl. "No! We're here to—I don't have time to explain!" He glanced behind his mother to find that the girl had disappeared. He almost swore, but then he remembered he was standing in front of his mother. "We're looking for a girl, and I'm pretty sure I saw her standing…" He stopped his rambling when he noticed the bystanders staring at them. "Um, can we speak somewhere more private? Like the kitchen."

When Sarah turned around, the customers went back to eating. "Of course, dear." The older woman led the boys into the kitchen. "Now, how can I help you boys?" She eyed Eddie and Richard. "You must be Jim's friends. Edward and Richard, right? It's about time Jim introduced—"

"_Mom!_" Jim exclaimed. Eddie laughed when he saw him blush with humiliation.

"I'm afraid we can't stay long, ma'am," Richard interceded. Jim was obviously too flustered at the moment to explain. "We're here on serious business. We were assigned by Headmaster Smyth to look for a young woman. She was kidnapped on the Interstellar Academy's grounds by pirates."

"Smyth?" Sarah hesitantly questioned. "Isabel Smyth? Is that the girl's name?"

Jim and his friends were stunned. None of them knew the name of the daughter, so they were quite surprised that Jim's mother recognized the description of the Headmaster's daughter. "How'd you…"

"Why don't you boys stay for the night? There's plenty of room," she suddenly offered. Jim watched his mother suspiciously. She had to be hiding something.

"That's awfully generous, ma'am, but we can't—"

"Sure we can," Jim interjected. "We don't know how long it will take to find… Isabel, but we've discovered that she's somewhere on Montressor. It may take us awhile to find her."

Sarah smiled in delight. "Great! I'll get your rooms ready. It's on the house. Oh, and I haven't touched your room since you left, Jim, so it's all yours."

"I like your mom," Eddied said once she left. "Why _haven't_ you introduced us to her?" Jim blushed and looked away.

"Jim, we already talked about this," Richard articulated. "We _can't_ stay. What would Jones think—?"

"He would commend us for finding her." Jim checked the door to see if anyone was listening. "You both saw her before my mom came along, you can't deny it. She's obviously hiding the girl here for some reason. Something's up, and I'm going to find out what before we leave Montressor."

Richard and Eddie exchanged glances once again. The shaggy blonde shrugged. "A cushy room and free food? I'm all for it."

The humans gazed at the Felinid, practically pleading him for permission to stay at the Benbow Inn. With a sigh, he sufficed. "Fine, but once we find the girl, we're leaving. We don't have time to solve a mystery that isn't our concern."

"Fine," Jim agreed. "Finding the girl is going to be a synch." He left his friends in the kitchen and began his search.

Jim admittedly missed his home, so he wasn't too quick to find the Headmaster's daughter, or Isabel. He immediately went to his room, which hadn't been touched in years. Everything was just like he left it before he went to the Interstellar Academy. His bed wasn't made, his stuff was in various corners of his room, his clothes were in a messy heap, just how he liked it. However, after years of conduct and mandate, he learned to be more orderly, so seeing his messy room suddenly bothered him. But he had no time to clean it now. He had to look for Isabel.

Since she was staying with at the inn, he figured she'd be occupying one of the rooms. But he wasn't just going to knock on every door in the inn. Instead, he went outside.

Behind his house, there was a shed where he kept all his tools, gadgets, and his solar surfers. He built many prototypes of solar surfers when he was younger. His latest one, _The Falcon_, was his favorite. He rode this one more often when he was 15. The canyons behind his house were like his backyard; he'd ride through the open plains all day and wouldn't return for hours. He decided to take a ride on his board to clear his mind. However, once he arrived at the shed, he found that _The Falcon_ was missing. Someone stole his solar surfer.

Jim growled in frustration. "Damn!" He grabbed another solar surfer and flew off to find the thief.

Despite his inner fury, he felt relaxed flying through the skies on one of his solar surfers, again. It was like before, when he was on Treasure Planet. Now _that_ was an exhilarating ride.

Jim suddenly slowed down and began drifting when he remembered his goal again. He almost forgot his purpose for flying over the canyons in the first place. He also forgot that he didn't have a clue where this person could've had gone.

Then he remembered the Kinapis powder. Eddie gave him a pouch full of the stuff. If it could uncover the thinnest tracks of pirate ship smog, then maybe it could also reveal _The Falcon_'s engine smoke as well. Jim stopped on top of a canyon to test his hypothesis. He sprinkled a bit of the powder over the precipice. The dust suspended in midair. Jim grinned victoriously; he was on the right track. The trail was thick, so the perpetrator couldn't have gotten far.

The trail led him to a forest that was much farther away from the Benbow Inn. He'd never been here before. It was almost as nice as the canyons, but there were too many trees and not a lot of free space for flying around. Jim grabbed the sail and landed on a precipice. The trail ended here, but there was no trace of _The Falcon _or the thief.

The rushing of water fell on his ears. Below the cliff he saw a waterfall. A river formed under the deluge, flowing down a straight, narrow path. Next to the river was _The Falcon_, and next to that was a girl. She sat by the river, her legs gently kicking in the water. With her back facing him, Jim could see blonde hair.

A clever idea popped into his head as he watched her. He furtively flew down to where the girl sat. As soon as he was right behind her, he leaned forward and blow against her neck. She shrieked and fell forward into the water. Jim laughed hysterically.

The drenched girl huffed as she got out of the water. "You think that was funny?" she sneered.

"Yeah," Jim said, breathless from all the laughing. "That was pretty hilarious."

She scowled. "That was completely unnecessary!"

When Jim was sober, he watched the girl as she tried to dry herself off. This was the girl he was looking for: Isabel Smyth, the youngest daughter of Headmaster Smyth. She had changed from her waiting outfit to a simple blouse, brown trousers (that obviously belonged to him), and boats (that were also his). Her emerald eyes, which were glaring daggers at him, were still dazzling.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly apologized. "I couldn't help myself. But I also can't help holding a grudge when someone steals my solar surfer."

"I just needed a little fresh air and some alone time. I was going to return it when I came back."

"Well, you could have asked."

"And you would've said yes?" she asked as she wringed out her hair.

Jim almost said no. He never allowed anyone to touch _The Falcon_, not even his mother. But this girl was a free spirit who wouldn't take "no" as an answer. It probably wouldn't have mattered if she asked.

"I thought not," she said when she didn't receive an answer. "I know my father sent you and your friends to rescue me. I'm surprised you found me so quickly. It would've taken the Smyth soldiers a lot longer to track me down all the way to Montressor."

"Astral may be far, but the Montressor spaceport is its closest neighbor."

"Oh, right." The girl walked over to _The Falcon_ and ran a hand over its smooth surface. "You did a fine job on this. It felt nice flying like that..."

Jim watched as she eyed touched his board pensively. She was definitely a free spirit. Of course, being the daughter of the headmaster of the most topnotch spacer academy in the galaxy had its restrictions. It was probably no fun just watching the cadets train and prepare to explore the Etherium from a balcony. Maybe he should've been a little nicer.

Jim cleared his throat. "Um, Isabel..."

The girl flinched. "Call me Robin," she said.

"Robin?"

"I prefer it rather than Isabel," she told him as she began wringing her blouse next. "And I assume you're Jim." His eyebrow quirked up when she said his name. "Your mother's told me a lot about you," she answered his thoughts. "You two look very much alike."

He held out his hand. "Well, it's nice to finally meet you in person, Robin."

Robin hesitated a moment before she shook his hand tersely. "Likewise. After all those years of watching you from the balcony, I'm glad I can finally talk to you." Jim smirked. She blushed when she realized what she just said. "Don't get the wrong idea! I _meant_ watching the other cadets, too, not just you! Having me fall into that river was a bit unconventional, you know!"

"Sorry about that," he apologized again. After shaking her hand, Jim realized that she was still wet. "If it helps, I know a way that can get you dry faster. How's about a race?"

She looked at him with interest. "A race?"

"Yep. From to here all the way back to the Benbow Inn. Whoever loses has to do the rest of the chores."

"From here to the inn?" Robin cracked her knuckles. "Piece of cake."

The two stationed themselves on their boards and Jim began the countdown.

"On three." Robin nodded. "One… Two… three…!"

A flash of light whizzed past Jim before he could even take off. He was completely taken aback by Robin's speed. But he aimed not to lose. He wasn't going to get stuck with chores on his first day back on home.

* * *

><p>"Jones… Jones…" Captain Amelia searched threw the archives of the library in her husband's study. When she moved in, some of her things got mixed up with his things, including her old family records.<p>

She didn't even bother to unpack her things. After hearing the name Jones, she began her search as soon as her family returned home. The name wouldn't stop festering her mind. And then there were the pirates. She knew the captain—he was too familiar to her, but she only got a glimpse of him before they fled the pirate ship with Thomas's daughter. She knew the pirates and Jones were related somehow. It wouldn't stop bothering her until she dealt with the problem now.

"Amelia, dear." Amelia ignored her husband as he entered the room. "You've been in here for hours. The children and I are worried about you."

"Don't you worry about me, darling. I'm fine. I'm in a bit of an impasse, is all."

"What is it?"

"The boys are here on a mission to return Isabel Smyth back to Astral. The name Jones came up, and I have a feeling there's a little more to this mission than they're being informed of… Ah-ha!" Amelia pulled out a sheet of paper that was torn at the edges. "Munificent Jones, the shape-shifter."

"Is she of any relation?"

"Yes and no. She came from the same galaxy Morph originated from—Proteus 1, I believe. Despite her name, that woman isn't to be trusted. She was very deceitful."

"Was?"

"She used to be married to my brother, Jack," she admitted begrudging.

"You have a brother?" he asked, really surprised to suddenly find out all this information about his wife.

"Unfortunately, yes. He was the most bothersome out of all of my siblings. There was something very off-putting about him. He and Munificent made a very depraved pair. None of us were happy when they were bound. One day, Munificent suddenly left my brother and took their son with her. Then Jack also disappeared."

"Do you think…?" Delbert dragged on.

"I don't want to believe it, but there's no doubt in my mind that it's him." She gave her husband a very troubling look. "We need to alert the boys immediately."

* * *

><p>The race ended with a tie, but neither of them had to do any chores because Eddie and Richard already volunteered to do them. (Well, Richard volunteered and forced Eddie to help. He thought it wasn't right for them to stay at the Benbow Inn for free.)<p>

Once they were back at the inn, Jim met up with his friends in the kitchen.

"So, how was your trip, Jim? Did you have fun while me and Richie did all the chore?" Eddie asked sardonically.

"Did you really expect to stay here for free?"

"Yes!"

"And anyway, I found Robin."

"Robin?" the other two echoed.

"Isabel, I mean. She is staying here with my mom. We can take her back to the _HMS Bloodhound_ tomorrow."

"Good," Richard said. "I just sent a telegram to the rest of the crew at the spaceport. If it makes it to them in time, they'll arrive here by tomorrow evening."

"Excellent." Jim never felt so relieved. Everything was going to work out. They would take Robin home tomorrow, and the pirates weren't anywhere to be found on Montressor so far. Maybe this was a sign. "I'll see you guys later."

"Where are you going now?" Eddie asked.

"To my room."

Before his friends could interject, Jim fled to his room. When he entered, he hadn't expected to find the young woman sitting on his bed with his model map of Treasure Planet in one hand. He made it after his trip when the inn was remodeled. The dream had never left his mind even after the voyage, so he carved the image into perpetuity.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked Robin.

"The door was unlocked, and I was curious." She tossed his map back and forth. "This is the replica of the map to Treasure Planet, I presume."

Jim immediately forgot about her invading his room when she mentioned his carved map. He took a seat next to her and ogled the ball. "Yeah, I made it awhile ago."

"It… It has an amazing likeness to the one in the story. You must have been a little Michelangelo, weren't you?"

"Yeah… I like to tinker… with things."

"I can see that." She continued to play around with the makeshift map. "What was it like there?"

"Where?"

"Treasure Planet?"

"How do you know I went there?"

She rolled her eyes. "My father said a certain 'James Pleiades Hawkins' was able to decipher the map and find it with the help of the famous Captain Amelia Smollet. You're the only cadet who's ever been to there. Besides, no one knows what the map _really _looks like, other than the people who discovered it. I figured you would say something if I mentioned it." Jim nearly face-palmed himself. He should've known that since he was so Treasure Planet savvy. "I think it's impressive."

"Thanks," he said timidly. "It was like any other planet with strange plants, I suppose. There weren't any strange creatures inhabiting though, besides B.E.N." That made Robin laugh. "The land was made of metal, so no one was able to dig through. The only way to get to it was to use the map connected with this portal. It was… the cleverest system I've ever seen."

"That sounded like an exciting adventure."

"Yeah. It was the greatest experience." Jim's nostalgic euphoria fascinated Robin. It was interesting to see a young man so enthralled in his own anecdote. He was such a good storyteller, it almost made her wish she was there to experience it herself. Of course, who wouldn't want to be on the very crew that found Captain Flint's treasure trove? "It's too bad everything was destroyed, though," Jim suddenly said.

"What happened?"

"Flint set traps so that anyone who found his treasure would get destroyed along with the planet. I was able to set the portal to the Montressor spaceport just in time… My friend was able to salvage a few coins so we could rebuild the inn." Jim almost cracked when he mentioned his "friend". He hadn't thought about him in years, and now that he was reminiscing, he couldn't help wondering where he was now.

"Doesn't that seem a bit suspicious to you?" Robin suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," she said. "I was just thinking…"

Robin's mind suddenly became blank. It was happening again; she was having another vision. Every corner of Jim's room began to disappear until she was in total darkness.

_A light shone through the empty void of her mind. Now she was in front of a bronze door. There was a lock on the door that had three latches with specialized symbols, like a puzzle. That was the only way she could open the door, she realized. And she had a feeling she knew what the password was._

_She reached out to touch the latches when a voice suddenly croaked in her ear._

"_That's it, dear," the venomous voice said. It was a different voice, but it held the same vile in its tone. "Just solve the puzzle and the treasure is ours."_

_She wanted to resist, but something was forcing her comply. Her hand wouldn't stop moving. She was merely inches away from revealing the password…_

But before she could decipher the code, Robin was brought back to reality.

"—obin? Robin, you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, what were you saying, Jim?"

"I asked if you were alright. You just spaced out all of a sudden."

Robin put a hand to her forehead. It felt clammy. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her other hand still had the makeshift map of Treasure Planet. It reminded her of her vision. She couldn't stand the sight of it. "Here."

However, when she tried to give it back, it floated out of her hand.

"What the…"

The floating map suddenly transformed into a floating pink blob. "Morph? What are you doing here? I told you stay in the dorm!"

Morph flew behind Robin, frightened by Jim's sudden outburst. "Stop it, Jim. You're scaring him." She tickled Morph, and he licked her cheek gratefully. "You're such a cutie. Do you know where the real map is?" He nodded. "May we have it, please?"

Morph flew up to Jim's desk and pushed out the map. Suddenly, that map began to float, too. However, it didn't transform into another Morph. The map floated up to Jim's boots, onto the bed, and into his hands. A little white weasel-like creature appeared on Robin's shoulder. It had a little crescent-shaped mark on its forehead and six legs.

"What is that?" he asked.

"This is KiKi," she said. She scratched KiKi's chin, which made her purr. "She's a Cloaking Ferret."

"'KiKi'?" Jim snickered.

"_KiKi! KiKi!_" Morph echoed.

Robin scowled at them both. "It's hard to come up with good names when you're four, alright? I named her KiKi because that's the sound she makes. Isn't that right, KiKi?" The little ferret chirruped in reply.

"Jim!" Miss Hawkins said from outside his room. She knocked on the door a few times before coming in. She became abashed when she saw Robin with him. "Oh my! Was I interrupting something?"

Jim rolled his eyes. "No, mom. We weren't doing anything. I was just showing her the replica of the Treasure Planet map I made." He held up the ball to prove his point.

"Well, I'm glad to see you two are getting along. I just came up to tell you we have company." Her voice sounded a bit anxious.

"Company?" Jim said, a bit suspicious. Robin also noticed the distressed tone in his mother's voice. "What kind of company?"

"Captain Amelia and Delbert are here, along with more of your friends from the Academy."

"What?" the two exclaimed.

Jim immediately ran out of his room into the dining pavilion. Sarah and Robin followed him. As soon as he was there, he saw Captain Amelia, Dr. Doppler, B.E.N., his friends, and the rest of the crew of the _HMS Bloodhound_. Tension filled the room, but it bit of it dispersed when Jim entered the scene.

"Jim," Jones suddenly addressed him. "Good work."

Sarah and Robin finally joined them from behind. Robin backed away when she saw the crew. Jim knew why she was so afraid; now that they whole crew was here, that meant they'd be able to take her home sooner than expected. But he wondered how they arrived on Montressor so quickly. Even if the spaceport was right nextdoor, it would still take them awhile to get here.

"Now that we have the Headmaster's daughter, we have a new mission."

"A new mission?" Jim repeated.

Jones nodded. "We're going to Divinia."

"Divinia?" Jim was confused. What was Divinia, and why were they suddenly changing their mission? This was unlike Jones. "What about returning Isabel?" He thought he heard Robin growl in the background, but he decided to ignore it.

"Back on the spaceport, we discovered the pirates' plan. They were going to use Miss Smyth to find Divinia, the Treasure of Eternity. Anyone who finds it has infinite power over the entire galaxy."

Eddie whistled. "Pirates with that kind of power…"

"It could send the whole Etherium into chaos," Richard concluded.

"Exactly. Not only would we be helping Headmaster Smyth by returning his daughter to him, but we'd also be doing the galaxy a huge favor. Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler graciously volunteered to help us with our journey," Jones added. "But I cannot do this without the help of my first mate."

Jim looked at the Felinid. This wasn't like her. She knew they needed to do this on their own, so there had to be some other reason why she and her husband were joining them besides the fact that the Etherium was at stake.

Jim looked back at Robin. She looked so confused and really frightened. But he couldn't defy this mission, even if he wanted to. If Robin was going to be used to help to find such a valuable and dangerous treasure, then he needed to be there to protect her.

"I'll be there at your side, captain." Jim, along with the rest of the cadets, saluted him.

Jones nodded. "We'll leave tomorrow." The crew cheered.

"In the mean time," Sarah finally spoke up, "all of you can rest here and prepare for your trip. It's on the house." The crew cheered again and shortly began talking amongst themselves.

Robin exchanged glances with KiKi and Morph before following Sarah into the kitchen. She wasn't comfortable staying with the crew for much longer. Jim looked at her, and she smiled at him sadly before disappearing into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, as the crew chatted about, Amelia and Delbert watched Jones warily. When he noticed the Felinid, he smirked, and then he turned back to his crew. Amelia glared at his back. Her suspicions were correct. She knew not everyone on this crew was who they seemed to be. It was like Treasure Planet all over again. Her gaze shifted to Jim and his friends. Jim was a bright boy, and she was confident that he would eventually catch on before it was too late. The fate of the Etherium was in his hands.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	8. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 7

**Tale 1: **_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 7**

"Wait, so this Jones is the bad guy?" Tim asked. "But what about Wayne and Terrance?"

"You'll see," his mother assured him.

"Will Amelia tell them?"

"You'll see."

"Is this like Treasure Planet? It sounds like Treasure Planet. Are you ripping off Treasure Planet?"

His mother would've been astounded by his throng of questions if he didn't make her laugh so much. Tim had no idea what was in store for him. "Trust me. This isn't anything like Treasure Planet…"

* * *

><p>The next day, the crew immediately set sail for Divinia. Everyone ran around as they prepared for their voyage. Jim, Eddie, and Richard said their farewells to Sarah and the kids. B.E.N. also decided to join the crew on their mission so we could be with Jim. He would've told the robot to stay behind to help his mom with the children, but Sarah insisted that they needed the Bio-Electronic Navigator if they wanted their mission to be a success (plus B.E.N. wasn't very good at controlling the Dynamic Doppler Quartet). Jim had to remind himself to get her something special when this journey was over.<p>

"Be careful," Sarah said to her son. "And you better take care of Robin."

Jim rolled his eyes as he released himself from their embrace. "I will."

"Bye-bye, Jim and Richie!" the Doppler children said.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Eddie said.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Amelia said to her kids. "Behave for Ms. Hawkins."

"Yes, ma'am!" They all saluted to their mother. She held out her arms and embraced them. When she released them, she yelled to the boys. "Let's head off!"

Sarah looked at Amelia and frowned. She was still hiding something, but she trusted her to protect her son from any danger on this trip. She nodded to her before leading the children back to port to watch the ship sail off.

"All hands to station!" Jones shouted from the quarter deck.

Everyone immediately went to their stations and prepared to sail off. Once the ship was further into the Etherium, Jim waved at his mother and the Dynamic Doppler Quartet. When the Benbow Inn disappeared, he went to attend to Robin. He smiled when he saw her watching the crew in awe as they climbed the mast and helped the ship fly. It was exciting witnessing a crew at work for the first time. Jim knew this from experience.

Now that they were getting down to business, it wasn't so fun for her anymore. Robin was confronted by Jones, who made her very uncomfortable, alongside Jim, thankfully. She wanted to be around someone familiar right now. "Isabel, this is Marina." The brunette stepped forward and saluted to her captain and Robin. "You'll be staying in her cabin. You're in her charge during this journey."

Robin nodded. She couldn't summon any words to say to him. Something about this boy just seemed very uncanny. And having him call her by her given name didn't help.

"I'll show you to our cabin, Isabel," Marina said. Her accent wasn't hard to miss. Robin recognized that it was Aquarius.

Before they went under deck, Robin looked back at Jim. He gave her a small smile as she went down with Marina. When the girls were gone, Jim confronted Jones. "Sir, if I may ask, where exactly is Divinia? You said the pirates were going to use Rob—er, Isabel to find it, but I don't see how that's possible."

Jones's eyes narrowed a bit, glancing around the deck. Jim saw this and looked around. A few of the crew members were staring at them, but when they met their captain's gaze, they quickly went back to work. Jones gestured him to follow him into the captain's quarters away from prying eyes and ears.

"We've found a map," Jones said when they were in privacy.

"A map?" The map was laid out on the desk. It contained all the planets in this quadrant of the galaxy. Jim recognized all the planets: Montressor, Kinapis, and even Astral. But he didn't see any planet called Divinia. Of course, he didn't even know what Divinia looked like. So where did Jones acquire the map from? "You didn't steal it from those pirates, did you?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't stoop so low to steal from pirates." He still didn't exactly answer Jim's question.

"Why is Divinia so powerful, anyway?"

"According to legend, Divinia was founded by the notorious Captain Flint."

"He made this planet, too?"

"No, he only discovered it. Apparently, it was the source of power that made him and his crew unstoppable. That's why they were able to loot and pillage cargo ships without getting caught."

"I see…" Jim thought he knew everything about Captain Nathaniel Flint, but finding out that there was another Treasure Planet out there suddenly made him feel like a 15-year-old boy again. He'd have to ask B.E.N. about it later. He was the only one who would know whether that was really true or not.

"I know we may not have many leads, but with you and Captain Amelia's help, I'm sure we could find Divinia in no time."

Jim nodded. "My friend B.E.N. assisted Captain Flint on his voyages. I'm sure he could pinpoint the location."

"Perfect! This will have us pulled ahead by five days! Good work, Hawkins." Jones patted his shoulder. "Your intel is very helpful, thank you. I'll see you around dinnertime. Until then, you're dismissed."

"Aye, captain!" Jim saluted to his commanding officer and left his quarters.

"Move, Hawkins!" Terrance, with his extra muscles, pushed the first mate down so he and Dwayne could get into the captain quarters. Dwayne smirked at him before he disappeared behind the door with him.

Jim glared at him as he picked himself up from the floor. "After all I've done, they still don't respect me," Jim grumbled.

"Mr. Hawkins," Captain Amelia called up to him. "May I have a word?" Jim nodded and went down to talk with Amelia. "I think it's best that you don't inform Mr. Jones on so much intelligence."

"Why not?"

"Jim, Jones is supposed to fulfill his duties as the captain and follow orders. His orders were to retrieve Isabel, unscathed, and return to Astral. Not only is he going against his commanding officer, but he is also bringing danger to his crew by going off course. If Isabel really is the key to finding Divinia, then she'd be better off at home where she could kept away from the pirates than going off on some perilous voyage."

Jim saw her point. Suddenly, Jones actions were becoming more suspicious. (But keeping Robin in the Interstellar Domain wasn't successful the first time around, so Jim was against the idea of returning her so quickly.) And regardless of how ridiculous the situation seemed, he couldn't go against _his_ commanding officer. He still had responsibilities.

"I see your point, Captain. Jones is still _my_ captain, however," he said. "But I will heed your word."

Amelia was impressed by Jim's quick response. "I'm glad to see you are taking the responsibilities as first mate to heart. Well done, James."

"Thank you, ma'am." Amelia saluted the young man before joining her husband in their cabin.

Jim went off to the bow of the ship, observing the many stars and planets in the Etherium. There was so much on his mind: Jones's weird behavior, Amelia's word of advice—everything. There was something that they both weren't telling the rest of the crew, but Jim knew their secrets would be revealed soon. And there was one thing that really tickled his brain:

What exactly was Robin's role in this?

* * *

><p>For the majority of trip, Robin stayed in the cabin she now shared with Marina, the Aquarius. Since she was in her care, Marina decided to stay with her in the cabin (and it was a very good excuse for her to get out of her duties as cabin girl). It was awkward for awhile since neither one said anything to the other, but then KiKi decided she was tired of the silence and begged for attention from Marina. From there, they finally started a conversation. They soon learned more about each other as the days went by.<p>

Apparently, since there were so little people on their crew, Marina had to share her cabin girl with someone else. She expressed her abhorrence for her job very animatedly; she was especially irritated by her partner, Edward Gilligan, a goofy blonde with no morals and no respect for women. Robin couldn't help but laugh, and when Marina was done ranting, she began laughing with her. KiKi laid between, rolling her eyes and receiving equal affection from both as they continued talking.

"It's nice to have another girl around," Marina said. "I swear, if I have to deal with one more bonehead…"

"What about Eddie?" Robin said.

"What about Eddie?"

"Well, he seems to have a thing for you. I mean, he sounds like he's really trying to get your attention."

Marina scoffed. "I'd rather drink soap scum then have anything to do with that lout!" They both laughed at the joke. "And what about you and Jim?"

Robin paused for a moment before laughing again, much louder this time. "What are you talking about?"

"You like him," Marina said as a matter-of-fact. "It's written all over your face."

Robin immediately put her hands on her cheeks. They felt hot. No doubt if she looked in a mirror they would be red. She didn't deny it: she had feelings for Jim.

It was a strange relationship they had over the past years—her looking at him from the balcony and him returning coy glances at her. Once she actually began talking to him at the Benbow, she realized he was still as immature as any normal teenage boy, but he also once yearned for the freedom she so desired. He had the same glint of longing in his eye when he reminiscing about his trip to Treasure Planet. She thought it was cute. And he wasn't a little stuck up soldier with no personality, so that was another bonus.

"Well, that doesn't mean he likes me," Robin replied.

"How do you know?"

Before Robin could respond, a whistle blew inside the cabin. "That's dinner." Marina walked up to the door. "You coming?"

"I think I'm going to skip dinner this time. I don't feel like being surrounded by boys at the moment."

Marina rolled her eyes. "I never like being around boys, but that's not going to stop me from getting something to eat." Robin's answer didn't change. "Alright. Suit yourself. Oh, and since you're still in my charge, I think it's better that you stay in the cabin. Jones would have my head if I let you get kidnapped again."

When Robin nodded, Marina left for supper. When she was sure she was gone, the young woman snuck out of the cabin and onto the deck.

She took a deep, clear breath once she was outside. She loved being outside, whether it was outside in general or in the Etherium. When she saw the crow's nest, she thought about climbing it and immediately considered her options. She could risk breaking a leg or a some other part of her body and get Marina into trouble. Then again, when would she ever get to do this again in her life? She wasn't allowed outside of the cabin since she boarded the ship. Now, while everybody was at dinner, was a great opportunity.

KiKi was already climbing the mast before she got a hold of the ropes. She pulled herself up until she was in the lookout point. She felt closer to the Etherium this way. Suddenly, the mast began to shake, which disturbed her silent moment. She hid inside and peeked over. When she saw her was climbing on the mast, she sighed. "Jim, what are you doing?"

"Dangling!" Jim struggled with the rope. "A little help, please?"

Robin rolled her eyes as she pulled him into the crow's nest. "How'd you know I was up here?"

"When you didn't show up for dinner, I decided to look for you. I saw you climbing the mast when I exited the kitchen." Robin nearly face-palmed herself. She should've looked to see if anyone was watching her before doing something so reckless. "I brought you this, in case you were hungry." Jim handed her a napkin filled with a few purps and a piece of bread.

Robin clutched her gurgling stomach. She hadn't realized how hungry she really was until she saw the food. "Thank you," she said as she took the napkin from him.

She sat down as she began munching on her meal. KiKi stole a purp and just before she was about to take a bite out of it, it flew out of her paws and transformed into Morph. She chattered angrily at the little blob before grabbing another purp and hiding under Robin's tresses.

"Those two sure do get along well," Jim joked.

"Don't worry, Morph," Robin said. "KiKi just gets cranky when she hasn't eaten for more than five hours. It's nothing personal." A tiny squeak sounded from behind Robin in disagreement.

Robin looked at the sky as she chewed on the fruit. Jim watched the young woman intently as she continued to eat her small meal. She looked so virtuous with that wanderlust in her eyes. It must've been exciting to be on a ship for the very first time. He wondered why the pirates would kidnap such an innocent girl.

"Is there something on my face?" Robin suddenly asked him.

Jim broke out of his trance. "What? Why?"

"You were staring at me. Is there something on my face?"

"Besides the bits of crumbs and purp juice around your mouth? Nope, nothing at all."

Robin smirked. "You just love messing with me, don't you, Mr. Hawkins?"

As she wiped her face, Jim finally decided to ask one of the many questions that was festering her mind. "So, Robin, all jokes aside… I was wondering… why'd you decide to rename yourself?"

Robin looked at the Etherium pensively before she explained. "Have you ever seen a robin?" Jim shook his head. "Robins are the resident birds on Regalia. They fly about, meeting new mates, making nest, going wherever they want to go without a care in the world. My parents used to take me to Regalia when I was little. I'd watch the robins fly around from my bedroom window every time I visited. I called myself Robin from then on so I could at least feel as free as they were."

She was pouring his heart out. Being a robin did sound great—extraordinary, actually, but not as extraordinary as being a spacer, of course. It suddenly gave him an idea. "Come on. I want to show you something."

Robin followed him as they climbed out of the crow's nest and down the mast. When they were on deck, Jim took her hand and led her down to where they kept the longboats.

"Have you ever ridden one of these before?" he asked her. She shook her head remorsefully. "Come on." He opened the hatch and jumped on the boat with Morph, who just floated down.

"Wait, won't you get in trouble for taking one of these without the captain's consent?" she asked.

"It's completely fine. And don't worry about Marina. I already informed Jones that I'd look after you while she went back to her cabin girl duties. Besides, I'm the first mate; you can trust me." He offered his hand.

"I don't know. I've never done anything like this before."

"Which is exactly why you should do it. Now's your chance to live a little before we all go back to the Interstellar Academy." Robin was still reluctant. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Please, Robin." Jim was looking up at her with pleading eyes. She glanced at KiKi for suggestions. The ferret nudged her to go on the boat. She knew they both wouldn't get this opportunity again. Robin hesitated a moment before jumping. Jim caught her and steadied her on the boat.

"Alright. Now help me untie it."

Robin untied the ropes easily. The boat began to float out from the ships undercarriage.

"Here." Jim handed her one of the controls. "Use this to steer and just press these three buttons to start the engine."

Robin was able to work and fly the boat in no time. Jim was shocked, and impressed, and very, _very_ curious. Seeing the expression on his face made her smirk. "Don't think I haven't been learning anything useful under the roof of that gaudy mansion. Lionel's taught me a few things."

"Lionel?"

"Yep. He's the only person who's actually taken my dream seriously, so he began teaching some of the basics that the cadets learn, and then some."

He couldn't imagine the giant black beast of a man as a teacher. He thought he was just some butler that was very close to the Smyth family—what else could he possibly do? But then again, his very built physique, meticulous inclination, and his intimidating demeanor did hint that he was probably part of a crew once in his life, or at least had some experience on a ship. That explained why Robin was able to fly his solar surfer so easily, and many other things.

"I guess I underestimated you," he said. "I'm impressed. I think you'd make an excellent spacer."

"Really?" Robin was absolutely flattered by the compliment. No one had ever told her that before. "Thank you."

"How about I take control now? I wanna show you something." He took the controls out of her hands and flew the boat to a cloud of galaxy dust. The dust formed a dazzling rainbow across the Etherium.

Robin gasped in delight. She laughed as she reached out and tried to grab the bits of dust that clung to her clothes. "Oh my gosh…! This is just… _amazing!_ Jim, this is the most fun I've had in years!"

"I'm glad." Jim smiled as he watched the girl and her ferret play in the dust. Morph soon joined in the fun.

He remembered when Silver took him out on his first longboat ride. He was just as excited as Robin, only he got to ride the boat the whole way. It was truly amazing. Robin probably felt the same way.

Robin smiled at Jim lovingly. This was the nicest, most considerate thing anyone had ever done for her. Her parents would have never let her go on this little trip, so she was glad to share this moment with someone she… liked?—_like_ liked?—_loved_…?

After all this time, Robin _still_ didn't know how she felt about Jim. She certainly felt strong feelings for him, but was it enough to call it an infatuation, or just a silly little crush? She thought her true feelings would be evident by now, but she didn't want to do anything that would ruin the moment. She wondered what Jim would do if she just confessed how she felt.

Her answer became clear when the boat came to a stop. Robin hadn't realized the boat stopped moving until that moment. The boat filled a void in the giant cloud of galaxy dust. She turned and saw the adoring look in Jim's eyes. His true colors were showing. Jim leaned towards her a bit. Their faces were much closer to each other now. Their noses were practically touching.

"I wish this didn't have to end," she whispered.

Jim's expression softened. "Well then, let's make it last." His neck craned until their lips finally made contact into a chaste kiss.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ew!<em>" Tim stuck out his tongue, blowing raspberries. "You were right, Mom. This isn't anything like Treasure Planet! It's too mushy! You said it wouldn't be too mushy!"

"It's not _too_ mushy," his mother insisted. "I said it was a chaste kiss."

"He chased her? Didn't you just say he kissed her?"

She forgot about her three-year-old son's lack of vocabulary. "No, not _chase_. _Chas-te_ with a _t-e_ at the end. It means it was small and innocent. No mushiness of any kind."

"But they still kissed," Tim said with disgust.

"Well, adventure stories are filled with some romance."

"Will this one have more kissing?"

"You won't know until I finish the rest of the story." She cleared her throat. "After their _chaste_ kiss, Jim and Robin went back to the ship. However, since they were so distracted from the events that happened earlier, they completely let their guard down…"

* * *

><p>Even after they returned the longboat, Robin was still distracted by the kiss they shared. It was her first kiss, and she was on cloud nine. It felt almost as surreal as the terrible visions she had, except this was better. <em>Much<em> better. In fact, it was starting to feel like a dream…

Jim, on the other hand, was lost. What was he thinking? This was the Headmaster's daughter for Pete's sake!—his _youngest_ daughter! But he had had these feelings for a while. Maybe it was better that he revealed them now before they returned to Astral and everything went back to normal. But he didn't see anything returning to normal after that kiss. What would Headmaster Smyth think if he found out he kissed his youngest daughter? What would he do? Kick him out of the Academy? Have the Smyth soldiers hunt him down? He tried not to think about it.

As they walked back on deck, Jim noticed that Robin was acting strange. Was the kiss that bad? But from the way she was moving, she was acting like some kind of robot. She kept walking towards the bowsprit in a mechanical motion. KiKi was freaking out on her shoulder. When Robin suddenly stopped, KiKi jumped off her shoulders into Jim's arms.

"Robin?" Morph echoed him as he approached her. "Robin, what's wrong?" When he turned her, Jim saw the black expression on her face. Her eyes were vapid yet glowing a luminescent green. "What the—"

"Step away from her, Jim," a firm voice said. "You don't know what she's capable of." The young man turned to find Captain Jones and the rest of the crew. Eddie and Richard stood in the back, looks of worry evident on their faces. Marina stood to the side with her arms crossed, looking away guiltily. Amelia, Delbert, and B.E.N. stood in the front with their hands bound.

"What's going on?" Jim asked. "Why are my friends tied up? Answer me!"

Jones smirked. "There's been a change of plans."

Robin, who was still standing near the bowsprit, feel to her knees, hyperventilating. KiKi jumped out of Jim's arms next to her master. Jim went over to help her. "Robin, are you okay?" He felt the young woman shaking in his arms.

"I-I-I don't know. I saw…" She stopped herself from continuing when she saw the captain. She gasped and jumped back.

"Did you have a nice dream, Isabel?" Jones asked.

Her eyes widened. "You…!"

"Dwayne, secure her!"

Dwayne immediately restrained her before she could run. She cried out in pain as he squeezed her arms.

"Stop it!" Jim shouted. "Let go of her!" He angrily turned to Jones. "Tell him to release her!"

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You see, Jim, we need Miss Smyth in order to find Divinia." Jim glared at him. "Remember that map you kept asking about? Well, we did find it, on Astral, that is."

"You're not making any sense!"

"Isabel is our map, Jim," Jones finally answered. "She is the only one who is able to find Divinia because she has a special gift: Isabel is a diviner."

* * *

><p><strong>I thought that Robin and Jim falling in love was a little fast, but, you know, it's Disney! And you know how I love Disney!<strong>

_**R&R!**_


	9. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 8

**Tale 1: **_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 8**

"What are you talking about?" Jim asked. He didn't know how this made any sense. Robin was a psychic? There was no such thing! This had to be some kind of lie. But then he saw the look on Robin's face. The young woman looked stupefied, as if she was just run over by a herd of bonza beasts—like Jones had just revealed one of her darkest secrets.

"Let me tell you a story, Jim. I'm sure everyone here is aware of the tale of Treasure Planet and how Captain Flint took many drastic measures to make sure that no one could get to his treasure, not even his crew.

"But before he even had a crew, Flint came upon an innocent little planet. The land was fertile, there were many exotic plants and animals that were probably worth as much as the treasure he eventually stole, but the most valuable treasure on this planet was the people. The inhabitants of this planet were diviners, tellers of the future. And there was one particular young man who foretold Flint's very successful future. This young man became his first mate, and from then on, they gathered a crew and began pillaging ships in the Etherium.

"Of course, with great power came great responsibility. But who am I kidding? These men were pirates! With treasure being their main priority, their partnership became questionable. The diviner saw a foreboding future if he allowed Flint to continue to go through with his looting: the destruction of Treasure Planet." That made Jim flinch. That vision sure came true. "He also foresaw something even more terrible than that: the demise of the diviner population. When the diviner tried to stop the crew, Flint put him in the brig. Unfortunately, he was able to escape." Jones laughed at this part. "Too bad his vision came true before he could do anything about it!"

Jim glared at him. This was a horrible story that didn't likely have a happy ending; how could he be so cruel? "What does this have to do with do with Isabel?" he inquired. "And why is Divinia still important?"

"The diviner was forever cursed with his mistake; every descendant after him was damned forever with visions of misfortune. And the last descendant of that diviner is our one and only Isabel Smyth."

Everyone was consumed in silence and astonishment. The daughter of the Headmaster of the Interstellar Academy was a diviner. Amelia and B.E.N. were the only ones who weren't surprised by this information.

"How'd you find out about that?" B.E.N. asked. "No one outside the crew was supposed to know."

Jones smirked. "I know. For you see…"

Suddenly, the young's man face began to change. His face became leaner and firmer. His top lip began to split until it was more feline, and his nose into a cat's. Everyone, except Dwayne and Terrance, were utterly shocked into silence.

"My real identity is Raphael Jones, son of Munificent Jones and the prestigious Captain Joseph Smollet."

"Smollet?" Jim, Eddie, and Richard echoed.

"Jones, Jones—why does that name sound so familiar?" B.E.N. mumbled to himself.

A sinister bay cackled behind the young first mate. The ship was suddenly overrun by menacing pirates. Jim was restrained by a pirate with tentacles and another one with furry hands that chaffed the young man's arms. The rest of them detained Eddie and Richard. Apparently the other twelve members of the crew, including Marina, were also a part of this wicked crusade.

Another pirate showed up on the quarter deck near the helm. He wore a red coat with a black vest underneath. A tri-hat covered his feline ears and he wore a nasty smile on his whiskered face. His face was as peachy as Amelia's. His eyes were the same luminous green slits, only more nefarious.

"Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Raphael," the wretched pirate said. "I am grateful to have such a reliable son." His eyes searched the crowd and saw two familiar faces. "Richard, my boy, it's good to see after…" Joseph frowned. "Oh dear, I don't believe we've had the chance to meet. Your mother never trusted me. We should catch up!" Richard hissed at him. The captain began walking again and he didn't stop until he reached the female Felinid. "And it's such a pleasure to see you again, dear sister." Amelia didn't reply. She averted her gaze elsewhere. "Quite rude, Amelia. I thought Mum taught us better."

"Apparently she didn't teach _you_ enough," she retorted. "For you to stoop so low into piracy that you would use your own son and kidnap an innocent girl to find a nonexistent planet…!"

"That is where you are wrong, Amelia. You and the rest of our miserable family never believed in my dreams. You all thought I was _crazy!_"

"You were out of your mind, Jack!"

"That's Captain Joseph to you, you little—"

"Excuse me," a timid voice interrupted. Surprisingly, it was Delbert's. "I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to my wife that way!"

Joseph merely stared at the Canid for a moment. He scrutinized the man who dared to talk back to him before breaking into hysterical laughter. "This is just wonderful! My sister, the renowned Captain Amelia, is married to this… this… It's ludicrous!" It wasn't long until the rest of the crew joined him. "Enough!" The laughing ceased. "Let's save our merrymaking for when we find Divinia."

He made his way over to the diviner restrained by Dwayne Baxter. He grabbed her by the chin harshly. Jim ground his teeth when he saw her face contort in discomfort.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Smyth." She bit his hand. The captain swore and backhanded her.

"Hey!" Jim struggled against the pirates holding him back as he tried to get to Robin. "Get your filthy hands away from her!"

Captain Joseph glanced precariously at the audacious young man. He walked over to him as he rubbed his injured hand. The girl was actually able to break through the glove. "You must be the ingenious young man my son has told me so much about. Jim Hawkins, I presume? The one who successfully deciphered Flint's puzzle of a map. I'd like to thank you before locking you away with your friends for providing us with the knowledge to complete our voyage. You were very helpful. How does it feel to know that you've doomed the entire galaxy?" The malice in Jim's eyes melted and his head fell down in shame. Joseph smirked in satisfaction. "Take them away."

As the pirates took them away, Jim stared back at Robin sadly. She quickly looked away from him so he wouldn't see her tears.

When they were gone, Captain Joseph turned to his son. "Raphael, I leave you to your men. I trust you can handle Miss Smyth."

"Yes, sir. I won't disappoint you."

"Good boy. Mr. Landry!" A slug-eyed pirate with bifocals saluted him. "Come with me so we can plot out our quest."

Jones immediately took charge when his father, his first mate, and Mr. Landry disappeared. "Set sail for Divinia. We're not stopping until we get there." He then to the young woman. Her face was wet with tears. This made Jones smile with pleasure. "Aw, don't be sad, Isabel. You are contributing to a good cause."

Robin frowned. "You're nothing but a bunch of filthy, good-for-nothing scoundrels! What 'good' could possibly come out of this?"

"It's good for us, isn't it?"

"You won't get away with this!"

"Who's going to stop us? Your sweetheart Hawkins?" Robin's scowled at him. "Aw, don't look at me like that. You two can share the blame for the galaxy's demise. After all, the closer we are to Divinia, the more visions you will have, and there's nothing you can do about that." Her scowl disappeared and more tears fell at the realization. Jones addressed Dwayne. "Take Miss Smyth here to her special cell. Make sure she's as comfortable as possible. We still need her to find Divinia for us, so absolutely nothing should happen to her."

When he reached for her chin, Robin tried to bite back, but Jones was quicker. "Nice try." Suddenly, KiKi jumped out of her blouse and bit his hand. "Ow!" He threw the ferret across the deck. KiKi disappeared in thin air. "On second thought," he said as he rubbed his hand, "Don't make her _too_ comfortable."

As Dwayne took her underway, Robin looked over at Marina. She thought she could be friends with this girl, but she turned out to be one of these swashbuckling rogues. She couldn't trust her. When they passed her, Marina mouthed an "I'm sorry" and gave her an apologetic look. Robin wouldn't take it. Any pirate she knew was not a friend of hers.

The trip to the prison was more uncomfortable than the prison itself. The "cell" Jones had mentioned was actually a regular cabin. Dwayne roughly pushed her inside and locked the hatch so she couldn't escape. When she heard him disappear, Robin dragged herself to a corner and cried.

She was alone, trapped, and she had no clue of what to do. Jim, the captain and the doctor, and the rest of them were locked up somewhere in her father's sophisticated ship. She was mad at herself for feeling such cowardice and for acting it, too. But as much as she wanted to help Jim and his friends, she knew she couldn't.

_Maybe I should've listened to my parents_, Robin thought. _Maybe I was meant to be stuck in a mansion for the rest of my life…_

Suddenly, a clenching feeling rose in Robin's chest. She closed her eyes and pulled herself into a tighter ball in fear. She knew this feeling. She was going to have another vision like Jones said she would, and there was no way she could prevent it. It wasn't long until Robin finally blacked out and found herself in another realm…

_The longboat she was riding flew at an unbelievably fast rate. She couldn't keep up with the rest of the Etherium. Slowly, a desecrating planet disappeared the farther the longboat flew._

_The planet felt familiar to her and it made her sad knowing that it was going to disappear forever. But that didn't compare to the despair that welled up inside of her. Something was missing on this longboat of hers, she realized. She wanted to go back, but the other tenants of the boat refused to let her go back. She tried to take control of the boat, but then she was held back by a pair of very brawny arms._

"_Robin, stop! We can't go back!"_

"_No! We can't leave him!"_

_The man grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "IT'S TOO LATE! There's nothing we can do." The rough voice was shaky, like the person was about to cry. The callous hand caressed her cheeks softly, wiping away the tears that fell unremittingly. "I'm sorry, Robin…"_

_She shook her head. She didn't want to hear any apologies. She pushed his hand away and turned back to the ruins of the planet, which were already being sucked into a black hole. It was inevitable; she was about to lose the thing most precious in her heart. She felt as if it were shattered, like the remains of the planet._

_She screamed._

"_JIM…!"_

Robin woke up from her dream in a cold sweat. That was probably the worst vision she'd ever seen. The planet she saw must've been Divinia, and one of its stars just went supernova. Jim was left behind for some inconceivable reason, probably still stuck on the planet as it collapsed.

"Oh no…"

That must've been the cursed vision the diviner saw. The destruction of his home planet was a supernova! And Jim was going to die if she didn't do something. She couldn't lose him, not when they were just starting to get to know each other, not when she knew she loved him…

Robin paused. Her feelings had become clear now. She loved Jim, and she'd do anything to be with him. She wasn't going to let him die—she wasn't going to let anyone die because of this stupid curse! That was one vision that wasn't going to come true.

Robin immediately went into action. However, she found that one of the cabins of her father's heavily robust ship was too durable and flawless, so she had no way out. "No!" she cried as she hit the door. "Let me out!"

"Quiet in there!"

"Please! You have to let me out! Divinia's…!"

Suddenly, a clatter was heard from the other side of the door. Robin stopped pounding and heard the pirates struggling with something outside. "AH! You darn weasel!"

"Weasel?" Robin put her ear against the door to listen.

A few shots banged and something, or some _things_, thumped to the ground. A few seconds later, the hatch unlocked and opened up. Something slipped through the ajar door, and suddenly, KiKi appeared out of thin air.

"KiKi!" Robin grabbed her friend and hugged her cautiously. "You little ball of fire! I knew you'd come back for me." KiKi chirped happily. "How'd you take out the pirates?" KiKi jumped out of her arms and ran into the hallway. Robin saw two pirates on their faces, their bums black from shots of their plasma guns. "You are the best, you know that?" KiKi responded as if to say, "I know I am."

Robin quickly snatched up a plasma gun. "Come on, KiKi. Let's find the others and stop this ship." The little ferret scaled up to Robin's shoulders before the young woman ran to find the brig.

* * *

><p>There were no words that could describe how betrayed Jim felt at the moment. Jones used him so they could find the source of Flint's power, and then he threw him away like garbage. What was worse was that he fell for the mutiny. It was like Treasure Planet all over again!<p>

_How could I fall for that stupid trick again?_ He mentally scolded himself. _Why am I so stupid?_

"Don't beat yourself up for this, Jimmy," B.E.N. said. He was locked up with Amelia and Delbert in a different cell blocked off by a wall of wood, so the other three couldn't see them. In front of them was a caged door. The construction of these cells was much different than the brig in a regular ship. "It's not your fault."

"B.E.N.'s right, Jim," Richard said. "None of us could have known."

"_I_ should have known," Jim replied. "I was his first mate. I should have paid closer attention to his actions. I should have realized that him planning for us to go to Divinia was suspicious. I should have listened to you, Captain," he said to Amelia. "I screwed up again, like I did on Treasure Planet." Jim crouched down on the floor and covered his face with his hands so none of them could see his tears. "Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a spacer. I'm a failure."

"That's enough of that, Mr. Hawkins," Amelia scolded from the other side of the wall. "You know that is not true. You are a fine spacer, and if anyone's at fault, I am. I knew about Raphael's mutiny the whole time and never spoke a word of it. That's the genuine reason why we decided to join you on this voyage."

"We should've been honest with you," Delbert added. "All of you. We are deeply sorry for not preventing Jones from taking over the ship."

"JONES!" B.E.N. said. "That's why he's so familiar! There was a man by the name of Benjamin Jones on Flint's crew. He was a shape shifter!"

"How exactly is this relevant?" Delbert asked.

"I remember he disguised himself as Flint's first mate, Gabriel Robinson, when he tried to steal Flint's treasure. When the real Gabe told Flint his vision about the destruction of Treasure Planet, Jones was able to convince Flint that Gabe he was trying to steal his treasure. When the time came around, Ben disguised himself as Gabe and tried to steal the treasure. He was caught by Flint, but he was able to escape before Flint could realize he _wasn't_ Gabe. The real Gabe was sent into the brig instead of Ben. That was around the time when Gabe had his other vision. He couldn't tell anyone about it because no would listen to him. I was the only one who believed him, so I helped him escape." B.E.N. sighed sadly. "Those were some good times."

"B.E.N., what happened on Divinia?" Richard asked. "Jones said something about Gabe's other vision coming true. What did he mean?"

"That was around the time Flint took away my memory circuit, so I don't quite remember."

"I knew Munificent was maniacal," Amelia's voice begrudgingly murmured. "It must run in the family. And poor Isabel… I can't believe I'm related to that awful man."

"Me neither," Richard said. "We have to find a way out of here."

"It won't matter," Jim mumbled. "We can't stop them."

"What are you saying Jim?"

"It's too late! They have Robin!"

"Who?"

Amelia sighed. "Jim, I know you may think we're in this predicament because of you, but don't. I told it couldn't be helped. I should've told you_—_"

"But you _warned_ me, Captain. You told me Jones wasn't acting like a captain, you said something was off about him, and I didn't consider it like you asked. Just shows how incompetent I am."

"Okay, that's it!" Eddie, who hadn't said a single word since they were locked up, pulled his friend off the floor. "Jim, for the love of God, stop acting like an idiot! You're the most capable spacer I know. Nobody as brave or prominent as you would've stood up to Dwayne and Terrance for me like you did when we first met. You quickly surpassed most of the cadets in the Academy in your first year, and you say you're incompetent? Headmaster Smyth wouldn't have chose you if you incompetent, Jim. And Jones did make the right decision when he chose you as his first mate even if he is a two-faced son-of-a-jackal. So stop wallowing in self-pity and be the spacer I've known all these years because whining isn't going to save 'Robin' _or_ the rest of us!"

Everyone was startled by Eddie's outburst, including Jim. Even Amelia and Delbert were quiet. Never had he or Richard ever heard their shaggy-haired friend make such a passionate speech before. Even though his friends already told him several times that none of this was his fault, it didn't reach him until Eddie had to scream it in his face.

Eddie was right. Moping about wasn't going to free them from this prison, and it definitely wasn't going to save Robin. He was going to fix his mistake and stop those pirates before they'd reach Divinia.

When he was finally out of that funk, Jim grasped Eddie's shoulder. "Thanks, Ed."

The blonde boy shrugged. "Don't mention it. Ever."

"Got it."

"Now, how are we going to get out of here?"

Jim tried to look a weak spot—rotten wood, a loose plank, anything that seemed feeble enough to break open—but he couldn't find any way they could escape. "What do you think we should do Morph?" Silence met his ears. "Right, Morph's not here. If only he were, then he could morph into a key and help us out of this cell."

"Who's Morph?" Eddie and Richard asked in unison. Jim gave them a look that told them, "I'll explain later."

Suddenly, the cell door opened, and the key sticking out of the keyhole flew out and morphed back into the pink blob himself. "Morph! You did it!" Jim tickled Morph, and he licked the boy happily.

Eddie and Richard gawked at the blob. "That's Morph?"

Jim shrugged shyly. "Yeah. He's… my roommate."

"How he was able to find us?" Eddie said.

"I think I can answer that." The three turned to see the Aquarius, Marina. Her turquoise eyes were settled yet anxious. She rubbed her arm nervously as they glared at her. Morph, however, flew over to her and licked her cheek affectionately, not showing any signs of malice towards her.

"This better not be another trap," Jim said.

"To think, for once in my life, there's a girl who I actually had a chance with, and she's a pirate!"

"Look, I'm sorry," Marina apologized, ignoring Eddie's unnecessary and ridiculous comment. "But I didn't have much of a choice. I'll spare you the details for later and get to the point. I know you may not trust me anymore because of this mutiny, but I can help you now since I'm a member of the crew. I know where they took Robin."

That caught Jim's attention. However, he still didn't think Marina was completely trustworthy. He was lied to before by a pirate he thought he could trust, but it turned out he wasn't who Jim thought he was. But this was a completely different scenario. If he made the wrong decision again, he could put Robin and his friends in even more danger.

Jim looked at his friends for help. Eddie didn't have anything to say and Richard just shrugged. "We don't have much of a choice," he said. "Morph seems to trust her, and she did free us."

"Speaking of freedom," B.E.N. suddenly spoke up. "Would you mind unlocking this door? It's kind of cramped in here."

"Fine," Jim said, ignoring B.E.N. "If you can lead us to Robin and help incarcerate the crew, then we'll see if you'll regain our trust."

There was a fat chance they'd ever trust her again, but Marina took it and nodded gratefully. After she freed Amelia, Delbert, and B.E.N., they began to devise a plan—with Amelia doing most of the planning.

"We can't be seen together," Amelia said. "If there are too many of us, I'm sure one of those obtuse barnacles will notice and alert the rest of the ship. Delbert and I will find the weapons. The rest of you will find Miss Smyth and go to the longboats. If we're not there in thirty minutes, then leave and go find the closest planet. I'm sure there'll be people willing to help a bunch of children who wandered onto an unfamiliar planet."

"What about Marina?" Eddie asked.

Marina rolled her eyes. "I think I can handle myself. I've been working with these brutes ever since we left that port on Astral."

"You have?" the three other cadets said in unison.

"Long story. I'll tell you later." They all wondered if "later" would even come. "Right now, we need to separate and dispatch these pirates, and you need to find Robin. She's in one of the crew cabins. I don't know which one, but it won't be hard to miss. There are two other pirates guarding the door. I'll lead Captain Amelia and the doctor to the weapons."

Jim nodded. "Got it."

Suddenly, a heavy tapping of footsteps thumped towards them. It stopped for a brief moment then proceeded on elsewhere. "Okay, everyone," Amelia whispered. "We need to move quickly before it's too late." She turned to her nephew. "Richard, I expect much from my favorite nephew. I'm sure you'll make me proud when this little adventure is over and done with."

The Felinid nodded and saluted his aunt. "Yes, ma'am."

"I will see the rest of you later." She turned to her group. "Let's go."

Before they could all escape, Jim shouted, "Hey, Marina!" The Aquarius stopped in her wake. "Thanks."

A bit of a smile crawled across Marina's lips. Then she quickly dashed out of the room after the captain and her husband.

"Alright, you guys," Jim said. "Let's go find Robin and get the heck out of here."

"Don't need to tell me twice, Jimmy!" B.E.N. said. "I think I know a shortcut to Robin's room! Follow me!"

"Hold on, B.E.N." Jim stopped in front of the robot before he could go anywhere. "I'll lead. I need your help once we get on the longboats to, you know, locate us to a safer location."

"Great idea, Jimmy! That's why you're the leader!"

"And as the leader, I also think you should, you know, be quiet."

"Oh yeah! Got it! Wouldn't wanna get caught—" Jim glared at him. "Zipping up now."

Eddie, Richard, and Morph rolled their eyes. Jim motioned them to follow him down the hall. It wasn't long until they reached the cabins. Jim jumped back when he saw pirates approaching. He looked over and saw that one was a pig and other was a rat.

"I hate this job!" the pig cried. "Why do we always get left with the grunt work?"

"Quiet down!" the rat hissed. "You'd rather us be the cabin boys?"

"I'm just saying…"

Jim sighed. "Marina was right," he informed them. "There are two of them. I'm guessing she's just around the corner."

"What are you waiting for?" Eddie asked. "Save your woman!"

"I can't just jump out there!"

"Well, if you don't, someone else will." Suddenly, the blasts of plasma guns went off and a few shouts from the pirates bellowed out along with the clatter of their guns. "See."

"That's our chance!" B.E.N. said.

Jim grabbed the robot. "B.E.N., no! We don't know if these people are our allies."

"They just knocked out those pirates! I'm sure whoever's out there is a friend—" Just as the robot began to walk into the hallway, he was hit in the back of the head by a blunt object. "Or not," the robot groaned.

The mysterious fender jumped out of their place and pointed a gun at the other three. Jim was on the defensive, prepared to take on whoever this person was, until he saw the emerald orbs glaring at him. "Robin?"

The person lowered the gun when they heard the familiar voice. "Jim?" The young woman dropped the gun and ran into the boy's arms. "Jim! You're okay!" She pulled away when she saw his two other friends looking at them. "H-How'd you escape?"

"Courtesy of Morph," Eddie explained, "and Marina."

"What?" Robin turned to Jim for an explanation.

"It's a long story," he said. "How'd you get out?"

"Courtesy of KiKi." The little ferret suddenly appeared on Jim's shoulder and chirped.

"Whoa!" Eddie backed into Richard, who was just as surprised as he was. "You guys have some freaky pets."

Jim and Robin rolled their eyes before looking at each other. "I'm glad to see you're okay," Jim said.

"Me too." They embraced each other once again.

"How come we're always invisible?" Eddie asked Richard. The Felinid just shrugged. "We'll to make this quick, we're Jim's friends, Eddie and Richard. We came to help rescue you, but it seems you're covered."

Robin nodded. "It's nice meeting you, despite the circumstances."

"Um, remember me? The poor Bio-Electronic Navigator that you just thumped?"

Everyone looked to see that B.E.N. was still on the floor. "Oh! Sorry!" Jim and Robin assisted him up. "I'm sorry I attacked you, B.E.N. I didn't really recognize you."

"That's okay, Izzie!" He shook the young woman's hand enthusiastically. "We found your girlfriend, Jimmy!"

Jim and Robin blushed. "Oh no, she's not my—"

"Hey, if we're done with the introductions," Eddie interrupted, "can we get a move on? We have somewhere to be."

"What? No, we can't leave. We have to warn everybody!" Robin suddenly noticed that there were a few people missing. "Where's Captain Amelia and the doctor?"

"They went to disable the crew," Jim answered.

"By themselves?"

"Marina's with them," Eddie added.

"No, no, no! We have to help them!"

"Robin," Jim said. "What's going on? Did you… Did you see something?" She hesitantly nodded. "So you really are a diviner."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. If my secret came out, then, you know, something like this would happen to me. I guess that didn't work out as well as we'd hoped."

Jim smiled. "I understand. But we need to get you out of here."

"We can't leave the captain alone."

"Robin—"

"I'm not leaving without everyone else!"

Jim looked to his friends for help. Eddie shrugged, once again not offering much help. "We can't go against Captain Amelia's orders," Richard said. "We have to get off this ship."

"What help would we be if we just ran away?" Robin countered.

Jim thought for a moment. "Maybe Robin's on to something."

"No offense Jim," Eddie said, "and I know she's your girlfriend and all—"

"I am not!"

"No wait. Just hear me out." Jim began thinking again until a bulb lit up. "I have another idea."

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	10. Tale 1: The Diviner's Curse part 9

**Tale 1: **_**The Diviner's Curse**_

**Chapter 9**

Jim and Robin snuck into the captain's quarters. It took them a while to get there because there were more pirates waltzing corners, but Jim and his friends, minus B.E.N., quickly incapacitated them. To avoid running into more pirates, Robin showed them a shortcut to the captain's quarters. With much convincing, she was able to go with Jim and find what they needed while the rest of them went to prepare to commence the second part of Jim's plan.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Robin asked.

"I don't really know," Jim answered hastily. "Something that can help lead them to Divinia faster—like a map of some kind." Jim wandered around the room, looking under the bed, in the closets and drawers, searching for some kind of clue.

Robin looked at him in disbelief. "Jim, didn't you hear them? _I'm_ the treasure of Divinia; I'm the only one who knows where it is. They don't have a map besides the basic one that's with Captain Joseph."

"I know, but something else had to have led them to you, I just know it. If we can find it, we can take it back to Astral with us, and nobody would be able to use it to find you again."

"I don't know, Jim. What if…"

Jim took Robin's shoulders and squeezed them in a comforting manner. "Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you. Trust me."

Robin removed his hands. "I know. I do trust you, but that's not what I'm worried about. What if…" There were a few bangs and blasts from plasma guns. Jim's eyes narrowed. They didn't have much time.

"We have to hurry."

Jim went back to searching in the drawers. Robin looked about the captain's quarters. She had to admit it was nice; her father's men did a good job on this ship. Her eyes wandered until they landed on the drawer with the vanity mirror. She wondered if the captain even used it—according to his appearance, he didn't. She regretted looking at it because now she could see how shoddy she looked. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were roughed up. Her mother would be horrified. She grinned at the thought of her mother's face once she saw the aftereffects of her daughter gallivanting through the infinite scope of the Etherium. Robin actually felt like a spacer.

As she continued to observe her features, Robin suddenly spotted a shiny, golden object hanging from the corner of the mirror. KiKi noticed this too and climbed up the mirror to grab it. She began chewing on it but its taste didn't satiate her. Robin grabbed it from her before she could do anymore damage to it.

The object looked like a compass, but it was sealed shut. Robin couldn't find any way to open it. "This can't be it." She turned it to the other side and saw the delta symbol (D). "_D_? No way. That's way too obvious." But then again, it looked way too nice for any of those pirates to afford. They obviously stole it from someone. She didn't think it was right to leave it here, so she stored it in her vest pocket. KiKi gave her a disapproving look. "What? They stole it first."

"Well, I couldn't find anything," Jim said. "Let's just take the map."

"Whoa, back up Jim." Robin ran in front of him before he reached the door. "We'll get caught at this rate. Let's just go back to the others and—" More banging was heard.

"No time." Jim too Robin's wrist and they ran out of the captain's quarters before they could get caught.

Just as they were about to enter the cockpit, someone jumped in front of Jim. Instinctively, Jim pulled out his plasma gun. Eddie yelped and held his hands up. "What the hell, Jim!"

When he realized who he was pointing his gun at, he sighed. "What are you doing sneaking up on us like that, Eddie?"

"I thought it would be funny?"

Jim and Robin gave him disapproving looks. "Do you really think this is the time for jokes?"

Eddie shrugged. "These may be our last few minutes together. Might as well enjoy them." Jim and Robin shook their heads. "Okay, so far Richard and I were able to put the pirates guarding the cabins into submission," he informed them. "And we took care of the longboats. B.E.N. disabled the alarms on the ship and connected to the communication module just like Robin said, so we're pretty much ready to commence Phase Two."

"Good job, Ed."

"No problem, buddy. And I'd just like to say before we begin the second part of our plan… it was nice knowing you two."

Jim rolled his eyes. "We're not going to die, Eddie. If we do it like I planned, then it'll work."

"And if we don't?"

Jim gave him a look. "Just tell the others to get into position."

"Aye, sir!" Eddie saluted his friend before running off to get ready.

"What if Eddie's right?" Robin asked once he was out of earshot. "What if the plan doesn't work? What if—"

"Robin, stop worrying. My plans are foolproof." Jim looked away for a moment. "Well, they usually are."

"I want to believe you, Jim, but I'm starting to think… we won't stand a chance…"

"Robin, we can't be second guessing now. The captain and the doctor and Marina are depending on us. The plan is foolproof, I know it. You have to trust me. I know what I'm doing." He kissed her cheek before taking her hand and squeezing it. "You trust me, right?"

Robin smiled and nodded. "Yes, I trust you."

"Alright then. You know where to go." She nodded before leaving him.

Jim took a breath as he prepared himself for the next phase. If he did this correctly, then they would be able to gain control of the ship again and send these pirates and traders to prison. But if he did this wrong… well, he'd put on his best performance. "Let's put on a show."

* * *

><p>Captain Joseph stood over the defeated Amelia Smollet, her husband, and the double-crossing pirate next to them. He showed off a cocky smile. "Well, if it isn't my troublesome sister, her pathetic husband, and the traitor," he sneered as he looked at Marina. "I should've known better than to underestimate my sister. But then I realized why should I waste my time trying to stop you and your pathetic husband when I have a band of pirates who would happily do that for me, as well as adding the traitor as a bonus!" He grinned ravenously at the Aquarius. "I have to say, dear, that was a nice performance." Marina just glared back at him.<p>

"You were right to underestimate me, Jack," Amelia growled. "After all, I've survived worse."

"Yes, but I doubt that you've survived an infinite drop through the Etherium. What do you say, boys?" Captain Joseph addressed the crew. "How about we drop our guest off the old-fashion way?" The crew cheered animatedly at the outrageous idea. The Felinid snapped his fingers, and at his command, a few select pirates grabbed the three and pulled them towards a plank. "Now who wants to go first? The trader? How about the pathetic husband?" Then he looked at his sister. "How about you, Amelia? You know I've always wanted to send at least one of my relatives to their deaths just to show them…" The thought of his sister's death made the mad pirate cackle.

Amelia saw the madness in his eyes. The fiery passion of vengeance clouded his mind. "Walking the plank, Jack? Are you serious?"

Captain Joseph stopped laughing and looked his sister in the eye. "Now when have I _not_ been serious, Amelia? And I thought that out of all of my siblings, you'd be the one to know me the best." The mad pirate turned back to his fellow comrades. "How about it, boys? Who wants to see the prominent Amelia Smollet fall to her doom?" The pirates cheered once again.

Two took Amelia's arms and dragged her to the plank. The burly one pushed her further up towards the end. It was hard for her to keep balance when her arms were still tied. Joseph put his foot on the other end and started tapping it harshly. The vibrations didn't make it much easier for her to stand. Amelia turned around to glare at her brother. "You sick, conniving…"

"You should've known better than to try to take over the ship, Amelia. After all, you're outnumbered."

Suddenly, the ship began to tip until it was turning around. Amelia managed to stay on the plank while everyone else fell to one side of the boat.

"Who the blazes is turning the ship?" Joseph demanded. "No one told you to turn around!"

"Sorry, captain, but there's been a change in plans." Everyone turned to the helm to see Jim Hawkins. The original helmsman was tied up, completely out cold.

"Jim, what are you doing here?" Captain Amelia questioned. "I told you to retreat with the others."

"I'm sorry, captain. But I couldn't leave you or the professor here"—he heard someone to his right clear their throat—"Or Marina. It wouldn't have been right. So I choose to stay behind. Everyone else is on their way to Kanon right now."

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" Captain Joseph moved away from the plank where his sister was dangling towards the courageous space cadet. "Young Mr. Hawkins has come back to join us." A few of the pirates snickered. "I admire your bravery, young man. Unfortunately, it's not going to get you anywhere. You've just planned your own demise."

Jim shook his head. "Actually, I just planned yours." He pointed a plasma gun at him.

Captain Jack glanced over from the gun pointing at his face to the young man's cocky expression. Immediately, he burst into laughter. His crew joined him soon after. "You foolish boy!" he said between cackles. He quickly pulled out his own gun. "You really think you can defeat me by yourself with that measly pistol?"

Suddenly, the laughing stopped when some of the pirates near the plank fell down unconscious. Eddie and Richard stood there triumphantly. "And this is where we come in," the dirty-blonde said.

Captain Joseph flinched. "What!"

Immediately, Captain Amelia pulled her hands free, catapulted back onto the ship, and landed on the two pirates surrounding Delbert and Marina. "You boys really need to work on your knotting. Quite a shoddy job you did." She stole one of the guns and used it to destroy their knots. Once they were free, Marina ran to help the others, knocking down a certain Dwayne Baxter, while Delbert stole another gun and cowardly hid behind a post as he fired at the pirates.

"Men! Attack!"

A brawl broke out—pirates against the rest; though none of the pirates stood much of a chance against the renowned Captain Amelia Smollet. And since Jim's lot was able to incapacitate the rest of the crew surrounding the ship, the fight was fairly short. The pirates were losing quickly. However, the cadets were still struggling.

"When's B.E.N. and Robin going to finish their part, Jim?" Eddie said as he dodged a punch from a one-eyed pirate. He was able to return the blow in his one eye, rendering him useless.

"We can only last so long!" Richard added as he shot at his opponent, a three-legged slug who was also a cadet at the Interstellar Academy.

"Don't worry!" Jim said. "They'll pull through and so will we!"

After a while, Joseph began to realize that the fight wasn't going in his favor as each one of his men went down. "Men! To the longboats!" The captain and the rest of the conscious crew members retreated and ran under deck to the longboats. However, as soon as Joseph tried to open the hatch, he found it locked. With a growl, the captain broke the hatch control and the doors immediately swung open.

Jim's group quickly made it down before any of the pirates could escape. "Not so fast, Joseph!" Jim pulled out a device from his pocket. "As soon as I press this button, Isabel will inform the Kanon army that there's an unauthorized ship from Astral overrun by pirates and they'll fly up here immediately."

"But not fast enough, Hawkins."

The group turned when they heard the familiar trader. At first, when Jim saw Terrance Schwartz with his robotic friend in a choke hold, his eyes filled with anger, but when he saw Raphael Jones walk up next to the four-armed cadet with his beloved restrained in his arms and a plasma gun pointed to her head, he wanted nothing more than to put that morphing Felinid to his death.

"We found this one in the hallway babbling like an idiot," Jones said, referring to B.E.N., "and this one was messing with a few wires connected to the ship. We stopped them before they could send any messages out to anyone within range."

"Sorry, Jim," B.E.N. managed to squeak out.

Joseph smiled brilliantly at his son. "Excellent, Raphael."

"Let them go, Jones!" Jim shouted.

"Not so fast, Hawkins." The pirate captain snapped his fingers. Jones and Terrance moved next to him with the hostages. "Hand me the device, boy, and I'll release your friends."

Jim looked between Captain Joseph and his friends. B.E.N. was, well, being B.E.N. in his usual panic-like state, and Robin looked surprisingly calm. Her eyes went from side to side, looking for some way to escape. When their eyes met, Robin nodded slightly. Jim smirked. "Sorry, but I don't bargain with pirates, especially not traders. They have a way with… negotiating."

As soon as he pressed the button, Robin smirked. "Should've known better than to underestimate me, chump!" She slammed the heel of her boot into Jones's foot and head-butted his chin. She took away his plasma gun before his lightheadedness went away. "There's more to me than dresses and skirts!" Robin swung his legs under, making him fall into one of the longboats.

However, when he fell, Jones grabbed her ankle and she was pulled onto the boat with him. "Robin!" Jim cried out. He jumped into the boat and fought off the amorphous Felinid. "Get away from her!"

Amelia, among the bedlam, noticed that the Joseph and his men were taking this opportunity to try and escape. "Jack!" She jumped into his longboat and pointed her gun at him. "You better not move a muscle!" The others followed her lead and jumped into the boats to confine the rest of the pirates.

"How could you betray Headmaster Smyth?" Jim inquired. With their hands pushed together, Jim forced Jones back. "Your father may be a pirate, but that doesn't mean you should be like him! Your future isn't set in stone!"

Jones smirked. "Maybe so, but yours is!" Suddenly, Jones put all his strength in into one shove and pushed Jim off the boat, sending down into the Etherium.

"No!" Robin cried out. "_Jim!_"

* * *

><p>"NO!" Tim cried, obviously very upset about the change of development in the story. "Mom, you killed off Jim! You can't kill off the hero! What's going to happen to the others! Are they all going to die?" The poor little boy looked close to tears.<p>

"Now hold on, Tim," she said as she pulled her upset son into her lap. "You didn't even let me finish."

He whimpered. "But…"

"Don't worry, Tim. Everything will be alright."

"Jim fell off the boat!"

"Yes, he did. But you see Jim and Robin had planned ahead. Before Jim pressed that button to the device, the cadets were able to locate the Kanon planet..."

* * *

><p>Everyone froze when the cadet fell over the boat. Amelia still had her gun pointed at her brother who was also frozen, but he held a nefariously content smile.<p>

Suddenly, the humming of an engine below made Joseph's smile shrink until his face held a horrified expression. "That's impossible!"

Everyone looked over their boats and held expressions of equal horror and shock—except for Jim's friends, who smiled in victory. Jim was now in the boat of one of the Kanon soldiers. Robin, who was especially relieved, released a sort laugh when she saw the young cadet. He smiled back at her.

"Jack Smollet!" one of the Kanon guards said. "You and your band of swashbucklers are under arrest for multiple accounts of plundering and kidnapping!"

In a panic, Jones tried to start up his longboat, but the engine was fried. KiKi, who was once again visible, showed up on her owner's shoulder with a few wires in her mouth. "Nice try, Jones," Robin said. "None of these longboats work anymore."

The Felinid growled at her.

"Give it up, Raphael," his father said. "We've lost." He frowned at Amelia. "I know when I've been beat, Amelia. But that doesn't mean this is over."

"Oh, I disagree." Amelia kicked him face first and tied his hands up. The Kanon soldiers began ascending up into the hatch to detain the rest of the pirates on the ship. "I'll let them deal with you, Jack." She dropped her brother in the boat before walking up to the cadets. "Well done, all of you. Even when the odds were against you, you all pulled through, especially Mr. Hawkins"—she looked around—"who doesn't seem to be here at the moment."

"I'm right here, Captain." The said cadet came towards the group.

Jim was instantly bombarded by his friends and colleagues.

Robin was the first one to congratulate him. The cadet embraced her as soon as she was in his arms. "Jim, we did it!" Robin exclaimed with joy. "I can't believe it! The plan worked!"

"Was there really any doubt?" he said teasingly. Robin laughed and smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Way to go, Jimmy!" B.E.N. cheered as he hugged his friend, unknowingly separating the couple and wrecking the moment. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks… B.E.N.!" Jim said awkwardly. "You can let go now."

"There he is!" Eddie said. He put an arm around his friend, making him even more uncomfortable. "I gotta say, Jim, I didn't think this would work, but we did it, buddy."

"Yes, that was genius," Richard said, patting his friend's arm fraternally. "How'd you contact the Kanon soldiers so quickly? Kanon is too far from where we are. They couldn't have come so soon when you pressed that button."

"Of course they didn't. Nothing happened when I pressed it, actually." Jim took out the communication device and opened it, revealing an empty cartridge. "Robin and B.E.N. were performing the backup plan, or what you thought was Phase Two of our plan. I had a feeling we would've failed because _someone_ couldn't keep their mouth shut." The Bio-Electronic Navigator rubbed the back of his metallic head sheepishly. "And since Robin knows this ship better than the rest of us, it was her idea to contact Kanon before we even started this plan. She also shut down the most of the ship's functions so no one could leave the ship."

"So wait a minute." Eddie removed his arm. "You're telling me you already had a feeling your plan wouldn't work, so you"—he pointed to Jim—"and you"—then he pointed to Robin—"formed this 'backup plan' without our knowledge? And you were able to contact Kanon before we went through all of that!"

Jim thought considerably before nodding. "Yep."

"It was a brilliant plan," Richard said.

"You're fine with this?" Eddie asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I don't blame him for not telling us what he really had planned. _Some_ of us can't keep secrets."

"Are you implying something?"

"I have to say, my boy, I'm impressed," Delbert said when he joined the group. "You and Miss Smyth make a good team. That was a job well done."

"A job well done, indeed, Mr. Hawkins," Amelia added. "You're going to make an exceptional spacer." Jim smiled proudly. "And you too, Isabel. I'm sure your father will be very proud of what you've accomplished on this trip."

Robin bowed. "Thank you, ma'am. That means a lot coming from you."

Amelia then turned to Marina. "And as for you, I am very proud to know that we can also still rely on some Smyth soldiers inside and outside of the Interstellar Domain."

Everyone blinked and looked between Amelia and Marina. "I'm sorry. What?" Eddie inquired, voicing everyone's confusion.

"Marina here is a Smyth emissary, one of the most excellent spacers to ever graduate the Interstellar Academy."

"Oh please, ma'am," Marina said.

"No, no. I give credit where credit is due."

"I'm so confused," Eddie groaned.

Richard patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Ed. I'll explain once we get back to Astral."

"Mr. Hawkins." The captain of the Kanon army walked up to the young man with two of his soldiers behind him. "We'd like to thank you for contacting us. Captain Joseph is very notorious in this quadrant of the galaxy. We would have never been able to catch him if it wasn't for you and Miss Smyth. You all have our gratitude."

Jim and Robin saluted him.

"Would you like an escort back home?"

"That would be very much appreciated," Amelia said. "But I think it would be best if you dealt with Ja—Joseph and his men. We can take it from here." The Kanon officer saluted to Amelia before heading back to the longboats. "Crew, let's prepare to get this creaking top back to Montressor so you all can go home."

"Aye, ma'am!"

Everyone ran back up to the quarter deck to prepare to sail off. Amelia saluted Jim and Robin once again before joining her husband. Robin looked over at the longboats that were still tied up. Her gaze fell lightly towards the Kanon longboats harboring the pirates and traders of the Interstellar Academy below as they slowly flew away. Jim walked up next to her silently and put a hand on her shoulder.

"This was a… crazy adventure," she said nostalgically.

Jim chuckled. "Yeah, it was."

"As soon as we're home, everything will be back to normal." Her expression fell a bit.

Jim frowned. "Would you do this again… if you could, I mean."

Robin looked at him. "Without a second thought," she said as she took his hand.

He put his arm around her waist. "You know, Robin, you never told me. How was that kiss?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I think I need a second opinion."

But before she could move forward, B.E.N. clumsily came down. "Hey guys, you're needed…" When he saw them glaring at him, he began stammering. "Sorry, I didn't mean—you two were—I'm going now!" He immediately fled back upstairs.

Robin sighed. "We should join the others."

Jim nodded sadly but kept a weak smile on his face. Their moment alone was ruined, but he wasn't going to sever the mood by sulking. "I guess we should." As they went to join the others, Robin's hand found its way back into his.

* * *

><p>"I'd like to thank you boys and Marina for returning my daughter," Headmaster Thomas Smyth said. "And in addition to that, you managed to stop the infamous Captain Joseph and his crew. Well done, all of you."<p>

The cadets saluted their headmaster with pride.

"I'm sure you all would like to rest after that little adventure you had. You're all dismissed for the rest of the day."

"Yes, sir!"

Before everyone left, Headmaster Smyth called, "Hold on, Jim. I'd like to speak with you for a moment." The cadet looked back at his friends before returning to his position in the spot in front of his superintendent's desk.

"Yes, sir?"

"Jim, I'd just like to thank you personally for returning my daughter home safe and sound. I knew I could count on you." He patted his shoulder for emphasis. "You did an excellent job."

"Thank you, sir."

"I also know that you're very taken to my daughter."

"… Excuse me, sir?"

"You don't have to pretend, Jim. I know my daughter is very taken to you as well. And I approve."

"… You do?"

"Yes. I have no reason not to trust you, Jim. You took good care of my daughter during this mission, and you are one of my best students. Not to mention I've seen the way you two look at each other every morning." Jim blushed bashfully. "I trust that she'll be in good hands."

"Well, um… thank you, sir." Jim felt very lightheaded. The Headmaster gave him permission to court his daughter and he didn't even have to ask! He felt so happy and relieved he could faint.

"You may go now, Jim."

"Thank you." Jim left without another word.

When he was in the hallway, he found only Richard outside waiting for him. "Where's Eddie and Marina?"

"Marina decided to go back to her dorm," Richard answered. "And Eddie decided to follow her."

"He does know his dorm is on the other side of the building, right?" Richard shrugged. "He hasn't learned, has he?"

"Nope."

"Jim." The two turned to see Headmaster Smyth's daughter. She was back to her usual garb; a blue evening gown with golden linen. Her hair was in a neat little bun. She looked so much different now that she was all cleaned up.

Richard saw the look on his friend's face when the young woman approached. "I think that's my cue to leave, too. I'll see you tomorrow, Jim." Jim waved at his friend until he was gone.

Robin immediately ran into his arms when the Felinid was out of sight. "It's so good to be back home with you."

"You too," he mumbled into her hair. "I'm sure your parents were happy to have you back."

"Now that's an understatement. It took me forever to convince them to let me roam the Academy on my own again."

"I'm glad they did, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to do this." Jim leaned down and pressed his lips against hers; it was as magical as the first one.

"Jim, I don't think this is…"

"Your father approves of us."

"He does?" He nodded before lunging for another kiss.

Robin stopped him abruptly by putting a finger on his lips. "Wait. Not out here." She took Jim's hand and led him back into the Headmaster's quarters near her father's office.

"Robin, I don't think this is such a good idea." He just won her father's favor. He didn't want to sever his trust by doing something like this. "What if your father comes in?"

"I promise you he won't. He's still talking with Captain Amelia."

Familiar voices were coming from the inside of his office doors. "And now that we're here, you're not at all curious about what they're talking about?"

Robin brushed a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously. "Maybe…" The two quietly crept towards the doors to listen in on the private conversation.

"Captain, I'm very grateful you joined them," she heard her father say. "I don't know what I would do if anything terrible were to happen to Isabel."

Amelia shook her head. "I'm sure they would've done just fine without me. Besides, she and Jim saved me."

"Yes, Marina told me about what she did. I never knew she had so much potential. I never felt so proud of her." It made Robin smile hearing her father say that. Jim saw this and put a tender hand on her back. "And I never thought that the rest of the cadets could all just…" He sighed exasperatedly. "It's a shame that the most prominent of students can turn into such disappointments, especially Raphael. I never suspected him of such treachery, no less Captain Joseph's son. He was one of my best students, but I guess I overestimated him."

"No one was aware, Thomas," Amelia said. "I didn't even know he was my missing nephew until I looked through my family records." Jim and Robin could hear the melancholy in her voice; they almost felt sorry for her.

"Now that I know, I've looked back into his files. There's no listing of any guardians who were looking after him before entered into this institution—bad background checking on my part. This along with every other bit of hidden information was put into the mission report."

"And their purpose for capturing a certain diviner, am I correct?" Amelia asked curiously. The headmaster nodded hesitantly. "You do know why they kidnapped Isabel in the first place, don't you?" He nodded again. "You need to tell her, Thomas—both you and Marie. She knows what she truly is now and there's no avoiding confrontation. She will ask questions."

Robin heard another sigh from her father. "Yes, I know. I'm surprised she didn't ask before this incident occurred. I just hope this experience hasn't changed her perspective."

"I'm sure she won't think any differently of you and Marie, Thomas. You both are still her parents."

Robin walked away, not wanting to hear anymore. "Robin," Jim said. "Wait…"

"I knew it," she said. "I knew something was off. I've always been the different one."

"But you heard what the captain said."

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that my parents… aren't my real parents. My real mother, or my real father, is one of the descendants of Gabriel Robinson, the diviner on Captain Flint's crew."

* * *

><p>"Wait, so what happens next?"<p>

"You'll find out tomorrow."

Tim's mouth gaped open. "Tomorrow? But that's like…" He stopped to count his fingers.

"Don't think too hard about it, Tim." Tim's mother picked him up and put him on his spot on the bed. "Tomorrow is not that far away. I promise you'll hear the rest in the morning."

The little boy pouted. "Okay."

To brighten his mood, his mother tickled his tummy until he was laughing hysterically. Then she kissed his forehead and brushed his hair back. "Goodnight, my little spacer. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Mom." She kissed his nose before leaving the room to let her son sleep.

Later that night, little Timothy dreamed of pirate ships, diviners, and the most magnificent treasure anyone could ever find.

* * *

><p><strong>That's the end of the first tale!<strong>

**Next Tale: _A Blast from the Past_**

_**R&R!**_


	11. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 1

**Tale 2: _A Blast from the Past_  
><span>Chapter 1<span>**

The next morning, Tim immediately got dressed and ran down to the kitchen to eat breakfast with his mother. When she found her little boy sitting at the kitchen table with such eager, she raised her brow in playful suspicion.

"Well, you're up early," she said.

"I want to hear the rest of the story!"

"Not until after breakfast." She set down a plate in front of him with a glass of purp juice.

"But that'll take forever!"

"Not with your appetite," she joked. Tim just frowned. "Now stop your pouting, Tim. I was only kidding. But I do have some bad news. I won't be able to tell you the rest of the story today. I'm going to be busy all day. I have to pick up a few things for your grandmother, and then I'm going to be out with Mrs. Gilligan to run some errands to prepare for your father's arrival." Tim sighed in disappointment before he took a bite from his plate.

"What're doin' with Miss Gilligan?" said the young boy with a mouth full of bread though it sounded less coherent coming from the child's mouth.

His mother stifled a laugh as she wiped his mouth. "Grownup things."

"I'm grownup!"

"Girly grownup things."

"_Ew!_ Never mind."

She laughed at his boyish innocence. "Don't worry. You don't have to come with me. Your uncles are going to watch over you while I'm gone, so maybe you can ask them to tell you the rest of the story."

When they heard pounding on their door, Tim jumped from the table and immediately ran to the door. When he opened it, he smiled brightly. "Uncle Gil! Uncle Dick!"

"Good to see ya, kiddo!" Uncle Gil picked up the bubbly little boy and brought him inside the house.

"Thanks for coming, you guys," Tim's mother said. "He's already eaten breakfast, so he's hopped up full of energy." She pinched Gil's arm. "No roughhousing, no playing with the plasma guns or antique swords, no extra snacks after lunch—and I'm warning you, Gil, if I hear Tim's learned _any_ new 'special' words…"

"Alright, alright!" Gil rubbed his arm when she let go. "Geez, Izzie. Every time I'm over here, you always act like you got a gigantic stick up your—" She stepped on his foot. "_Youch!_"

She ignored him and turned to the taller gentleman. "Dick, _please_ make sure they _both_ behave."

"I'll do my best."

She knelt down to her son's level. "Now you make sure you behave, young man. If I hear you were good, you might get a special surprise tonight."

"Yes, ma'am," said Tim.

She kissed his cheek and hugged him one last time. "Bye, Tim."

"Bye, Mom!"

When the young woman was out the door, Uncle Gil sighed out. "Okay, kiddo. Now that your mom's gone, what do ya wanna do?"

"I wanna hear a story!"

The exuberant uncle stared at the little boy inquisitively. "Really? You don't want to 'fight' in the Kinapis minefields? Or…"

"Nope!" the little boy exclaimed. "My mom was telling me a story the other day about some cadets from the Inner… Inter-teller…"

"The Interstellar Academy?" Uncle Dick said, remembering the little boy was only at the age of three and had a very small vocabulary.

"Yeah, that! This Jim guy just got back from this cool adventure with his friends and beated Captain Joseph and his crew! It was awesome!"

Gil exchanged glances with Dick. "Oh, right! _That_ story," said Uncle Gil. "So, um, where did you and your mom leave off?"

"Well Jim's girlfriend Robin found out that her mom and dad weren't her real mom and dad."

"Ah! I remember that."

Uncle Gil picked the little boy up and brought him into the living room where they usually practiced their "swordplay" and other such mischievous acts. Uncle Dick would usually stand by making sure they didn't break anything. With the many breakable things in this room, it seemed like the best place to mess around with a child, especially a child with itchy feet and a boundless imagination. But Uncle Gil never thought he'd be in here just to tell a story to his little nephew.

"So, what happened after that, Dick?"

"I think it was when he—"

"—and there was that guy—"

"—oh yeah—"

"—and did he—?"

"—I believe so."

Tim sat with a stupefied expression on his face. "Huh?"

"Okay, Tim," Uncle Gil said. "Now get ready for a story that will blow your mind."

"Will there be pirates in it?"

Dick rolled his eyes. "When have there _not_ been pirates?" That answer satisfied the boy and he cheered in anticipation.

"Hold on, kiddo" Gil said once again. "Let's not get too excited before we begin this tale." Tim nodded enthusiastically as he tried to calm down. "Now, the story begins in the deepest, darkest part of the Etherium…"

* * *

><p>There are many parts of the Etherium that are very well-known, but this part the galaxy was unusually dark and dismal, thus it was duly known as the Sable Abyss. It was said that many castaways ended up in this part of the Etherium. For one unfortunate castaway, it was hell. He was stuck in this sort of limbo for the better part of… he couldn't remember. It didn't seem so long, but he was stuck for so long, it could've just been three minutes rather than three years.<p>

The darkness seemed to have turned darker as a ship passed over him. The castaway thought of calling out to the ship, but he didn't know if they'd be able to hear him. His throat was dry from lack of fluids and it hurt whenever he coughed out. Besides, he didn't even know these people. He didn't want to bring more trouble for himself by attracting their attention.

Suddenly, the ship floating above stopped and the hatch opened. One longboat flew towards him. Riding inside were three burly men. By their austere appearance, the castaway assumed that they were pirates. The castaway grimaced. Pirates were all the same; an enemy of an enemy. He doubted they came down to rescue him. The one closest to him, a muscular Feralis Felinid, pulled him onto the longboat and the other two grabbed hold of his arms so he wouldn't move. It seemed pointless to the castaway since he didn't even have the strength to move his arms.

Once back on the ship, the two pirates—a bug eyed slug and a gray muscular beast the castaway couldn't even identify—dragged him along as the deck as the Feralis Felinid led the way. They were soon surrounded by the rest of the crew, a bunch of ravenous looking aliens ready to tear him apart. The Feralis Felinid opened a door, allowing the other two to push the castaway inside. The panther man closed the door. Now there were only three present.

The third, which the castaway assumed was the captain of this wretched crew, sat at a desk that held many delicacies that made his mouth water. The captain stood over his desk as he tried to get a glimpse of the castaway. His eyes were bright blue and held the bloodlust of Captain Hook. The captain sat back down and gestured to the Feralis Felinid. As they conversed quietly, the castaway realized that the panther man was the first mate. Surely he was doomed now.

When they were done talking to each other, the first mate went back to the door and locked it. The castaway didn't take that as a good sign. He eyed him suspiciously but the burly panther man didn't stir.

"Are you hungry, my dear sir?" the castaway suddenly heard someone say. He was sure the voice came from over the captain's desk in the captain's general direction, but he wasn't sure if that was the captain himself who was actually talking to him. "Have a seat." He heard it again, and this time he saw the captain gesture towards the chair. "Don't fright. Reginald doesn't bite. Much." The castaway looked back at the Feralis Felinid by the name of Reginald before reluctantly crawling from off the floor and slumping into the chair.

Now, as he was facing the captain, he saw that he was human, nothing like the slimy, foul aliens he saw outside. But that didn't change the fact that this human was still the captain of this vicious crew, which only meant he was probably a thousand times worse than all of those men combined.

"Are you not hungry?" the captain suddenly asked. "Please, help yourself." The castaway stared at him warily. He never met such a polite pirate. Pirates don't give handouts, especially not to castaways such as him.

"I don't want anything," spoke his hoarse serpentine voice. "Especially not from the likesss of you."

The captain smirked. "Such talk from a pirate." The castaway became rigid and glared at him. "Are you really that surprised? Anyone with a keen eye can obviously see from your hostile demeanor that you're a fellow buccaneer yourself. But I've never met a pirate that would deny such a delectable offer." The captain took a purp from the pile of goods on his desk and bit into it inconsiderably. The succulent juices slid down his jaw, making the castaway's mouth salivate. "Now are you sure you're not hungry?" the captain asked again seeing the saliva slide down the castaway's red maw.

The castaway wiped his mouth and looked at the captain stubbornly. Then he hesitantly took a purp from the pile and eyed it carefully before stuffing it in his mouth and reaching for more to eat.

"So now that I've saved your life and provided you nourishment," the captain suddenly said, "I'm sure you know what that means."

The castaway stopped eating. "What is it that you want?"

The captain smirked in satisfaction. "I'm gathering a crew, as you can see. I need the fiercest, foulest, most able-bodied men I can afford."

"And you think I meet your… standardsss?" Anyone could see, as the castaway knew, that he didn't even look close to the captain's description. After being stuck in that limbo for so long, one could only get the proper nutrition from the piles of space debris which wasn't enough by anyone's, not even a pirate's, standards. His muscles were long gone and his gauntness just made him look more unpleasant. What did this human see useful about him?

"You can never judge a book by its cover, my good man."

"Follow your own advice, ssskipper," the castaway spat. "I'm not joining your crew."

"Well, isn't that just like a pirate—and I was just about to make you an offer you couldn't refuse."

"I'm sure it isn't worth my time."

"I'm pretty sure you have plenty of time. After all, where are you to go?" As the captain said that, his first mate moved in front of the door as a barrier. There was no way the castaway could escape now.

"What is this… offer?" he asked curiously.

"How about all the gold you could ever get your meaty, little claws on?"

The castaway hissed. "The lassst time I was given such an offer, I ended up as galactic barracuda bait."

"You mean when you were on the voyage of Treasure Planet?"

There was no surprise when a look of shock appeared on the castaway's face. This only made the captain's crooked smile grow. "How did you…"

"I didn't," the captain answered with a smirk. The castaway sneered at him. "In fact, when my men first spotted you, we weren't sure if you were part of _that_ crew. But yes, all the buccaneers on this side of the galaxy are very away of the misfortunate outcome of that voyage. It's a shame; everyone on that crew worked so hard to find the Loot of a Thousand Worlds and in the end, no one was able to receive a single penny for their hard devotion, but I can guarantee you that won't happen on my crew.

"You see, we're on our way to Divinia, a planet that was discovered by Captain Flint long before Treasure Planet was even created. This planet used to be inhabited by Diviners—one of which happened to be a part of Flint's crew."

"So?"

"There's a myth that says Divinia holds the Treasure of Eternity, something that Flint neglected to see let alone learn about. Everything on the planet is actually very valuable—the exotic plants, the rare animals—though the Treasure of Eternity is worth a thousand times more than anything unusual you'd find on this planet. The Diviners depended on it as a life source. It's a symbol of balance and perfection, and they couldn't let anyone taint their precious life source. When Flint came to the planet, the Diviners hid it away from the interloper in the center of the planet." The captain leaned over and whispered with his crooked smile, "Now the whole core of the planet is made of gold."

"How do I know that you aren't pulling my leg?" the castaway asked once again.

"Because if a group of swashbuckling scumbags was able to prove the Treasure Planet myth was in fact not such drivel, then why couldn't the origin of it all be just as real?"

The castaway looked away pensively. He still wasn't sure about this offer. Finding Treasure Planet was one thing, but finding a planet that no one's ever heard of was something else. He never even heard of the legend of Divinia. How did this _human_ know so much about this place? When they went looking for Flint's Trove, they had a map. Was this crew as fortunate? "How exactly are you going to find this _Divinia_?"

"By looking for the Treasure of Divinia," the captain answered coyly. The castaway looked at him for further explanation. "The diviner in Flint's crew was able to predict Flint's next plan and tried to prevent it, but before Flint could do anything, the diviner fled. Now the only people who can find Divinia are the descendants of that very man."

"And how are you going to do _that_?"

"That's fairly simple. There's only one pirate who is an expert on the stuff of legends; Long John Silver."

The castaway suddenly scowled. "I haven't heard that name since was I sent into the Sable Abyss by that miserable cabin boy. How do you know he'll know anything about Divinia?"

"How do you think he knew about the kid who found the map to Treasure Planet?"

The thought of reuniting with the cyborg brought an ugly smile on his heinous face. Maybe he'd see the cabin boy as well. "Well, it'll be nice to see a familiar… _face_."

"Is it a deal then?"

The castaway nodded slyly. "Yesss, Captain…"

The captain set his feet off the table. "Captain Leland."

The castaway gave a crooked smile. "Scroop."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the distant planet of Astral, the Interstellar Academy stood proudly in the night. The cadets slept peacefully as the Smyth soldiers patrolled the perimeter. In the estate next door, a Feralis Felinid walked through the halls of the Smyths watching for any potential danger or late night snackers. When he saw everything was fine, he went the way away and disappeared behind a corridor. The last room he passed belonged to Headmaster Smyth's youngest daughter, Isabel Smyth, a.k.a. Robin.<p>

Peace did not make itself present in the room of young Robin. As she slept, terrible dreams began to enter the realm of her peaceful mind. She trembled and rolled and struggled and her legs were tangled in the sheets of her bed as her dreams intensified into nightmares. The last one she saw was one she was all too familiar with:

"_Robin, stop! We can't go back!"_

"_No! We can't leave him!"_

"_IT'S TOO LATE! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry, Robin…"_

_She screamed._

"_JIM…!"_

Robin sprung up in a cold sweat. Her hand immediately went to her chest as she tried to calm down. Her forehead felt hot and clammy. Tears escaped the corners of her eyes. The same vision had been haunting her dreams ever since her last voyage. She didn't have any others, which only meant that premonition was a few days short of becoming a reality.

As she clasped her face in her hands, something shiny was caught in her periphery. She reached out to the nightstand on the left of her bed and pulled the chain attached to the compass she found on the _HMS Bloodhound_. Robin was still unable to open it, but there was something about the peculiar compass she couldn't pick out.

"What is it?" she asked herself.

When she touched the delta engraved on the top, something flashed in her mind.

"_JIM…!"_

Robin jumped. On her pillow, her six-legged ferret friend KiKi was snoring away like she didn't have a care in the world. "Lucky." The young woman looked at her enviously as she gently ran her fingers through her soft fur. "I haven't been able to get a wink of sleep tonight," she said as if KiKi was listening. The ferret did nothing more but roll over and snore louder. "Goodnight, you lazy little ferret."

After she set the compass back on the nightstand, Robin sunk back into her comfy bed and fell right back to sleep.

Later that night as the girl and her furry companion dreamed on, the delta engraved on the compass on her nightstand began to glow a bright iridescent blue as it was sensing the presence of a nearby diviner. The seal began to crack, but then the crack ceased halfway.

_Isabel…_

The light continued to flicker on and off until it flashed completely off.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	12. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 2

**Tale 2: _A Blast from the Past_  
><span>Chapter 2<span>**

The next, the Interstellar Academy grew to life. Cadets ran about on the training fields for warm-ups or were on their way to their indoor classes. A young Jim Hawkins was roaming through the halls past those students as he was searching for a certain Miss Smyth. Though he and the young miss had been courting each other since that fateful adventure three months ago, not many were aware of their relationship except for a select few.

"Hey, Jim!" The young cadet stopped when he was confronted by his two friends, Eddie and Richard. "Where's the fire? We've been calling after you for five minutes."

"Yeah, where are you headed off to?" Richard asked.

He smiled coyly. "Where do you think?" he replied.

"Ah geez," Eddie murmured. "You'd think everybody in this place would know about you and you-know-who by now. I mean, with the way you're always disappearing, it would be obvious, you know?"

"I'm sure everybody is too busy worrying about themselves rather than what I'm doing. Graduation isn't that far away and the professors are riding us up harder than ever; you think they'd want to waste their time worrying about my personal life. Besides, if anyone found out about my relationship with Robin, do you know what they'd do to me?"

"Torment you, ostracize you, get on your back about your good grades because you're courting the Headmaster's daughter?"

"Exactly."

"But that wouldn't be very surprising anyway, Jim. I mean, I always thought you were Headmaster Smyth's favorite."

"What? No I'm not."

"I've always thought the same," Richard commented.

"You, too?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Jim frowned. "You shouldn't feel ashamed by this, Jim. You work just as hard as the other cadets—harder than most. You deserve the praise." Jim knew Richard was right. Amelia's recommendation only brought him so far. He had to make a real effort to actually get accepted into the Academy, especially since his family had little to support themselves. Now he was in the top of most of his classes, his tuition was funded in the Headmaster's favor, and he was with the greatest girl in the world. And after all he'd been through, he did deserve this.

"And does it really matter what we think, Jim?" asked Eddie. "As long as you make Headmaster Smyth's daughter happy, you won't have anything to worry about. But if you were to break her heart—well, one thing's for sure; you wouldn't be his number one anymore." Jim gave him a sour look. "Speaking of which, here comes my number one." Jim and Richard followed their friend's gaze. Across the hall, they could see a familiar Aquarius approaching them. She had a content look on her face as she walked casually among their peers. No doubt that smile would disappear once Eddie came along.

The mischievous young man wouldn't stop going after Marina since their voyage three months ago. He held certain affections toward Marina for some reason and his friends were still trying to figure out why. Usually, whenever Eddie held a crush for a certain female student, he'd quickly get over it once another girl caught his eye—and considering the small amount of girls that actually attended the Academy, his standards were very low. But so far, he hadn't even taken a second glance at any other female cadets. His three month crush on Marina was a record. "I'll see you gentlemen later." And with that, the love-sick blonde ran after the unsuspecting girl.

"I've never seen Eddie so infatuated with a girl before," said Richard. "You'd think he'd give up right about now."

"That's what love does to you," said Jim.

"So love makes you blind?"

"Nope, just the opposite." And with that final word, Jim left as well.

The young man ran to the back of the school and around the corner until he was behind the Smyth Estate. He kept going until he found himself in a courtyard. Beyond that, he saw a room with a grand piano inside. Three people were present, one occupying the piano. He recognized her as Robin. The other two, he figured, were most likely her mother and her older sister she told him about on occasion. He remembered she didn't like talking about her family that much nowadays, not after she found out that she wasn't really related to them.

Jim decided to move closer in order to hear their conversation but not so close that he would get caught. He hid behind the pillar closest to Robin. "Mother, this isn't fair," he heard Robin cry. "How come you never make Abigail take lessons?"

"Because I'm a woman," her older sister answered snootily. "And I've learned plenty unlike _some_ young ladies who'd rather skip out to play _soldier_." Robin stuck out her tongue childishly in reply.

"Girls, enough," their mother said. "Robin, you stay and practice. Abigail, leave." The older girl left the room—not before smiling cynically at her younger sister. Robin just frowned. "Robin, you and your sister haven't been acting any better towards each other lately; in fact, you seemed to have it out for her. Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she answered quickly.

"Is this about—"

"I have to practice."

The older woman took the hint and left the room. Robin, who was now by herself, sighed heavily before facing the piano. She cracked her fingers and stretched them over the keys. As soon as she started playing, Jim slowly made his way around the pillar and leaned against it as he listened. He never heard her play before—not that she ever even mentioned her playing an instrument at all—and he normally didn't listen to music that often, either, but listening to her play was like falling in love with her all over again.

When she was finished with her song, Jim applauded her performance. Robin was startled by this and sighed when she realized it was only her beau. "I swear, Jim, you're going to give me a heart attack one day."

Jim chuckled. "You sounded great. Why didn't you tell me you could play?"

"Because I never wanted to learn," she replied. "My parents always forced me to take these stupid lessons, but I never wanted it. I've always wanted to be a spacer, to taste adventure, to leave this wretched dungeon of a mansion." She sighed as she leaned on keys, causing a very resonating chord. "But they've never understood and now I know why. It shouldn't surprise me why we're so different."

"Now, Robin, don't start…"

"I can't help it!" Robin stood from the piano angrily. "I mean, have you _seen_ my family? Their skin glows and mine doesn't! Their ears are pointed and mine aren't! They're Sylphs and I'm not." Sat back down at the piano and put her head on the keys. "I know I sound very ungrateful right now—believe me, I'm very grateful to have parents who love me and have been looking after me for so long, but I've always been the odd one out. When I was younger, I once thought I wasn't their daughter. It was a childish thought, though. But knowing it isn't so childish makes me question so much…"

Jim put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Robin. I know you're confused. But if it makes so you curious, why don't you ask them."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

Robin sat up. "Because it's not as easy as it sounds."

"You think?" She turned away from him and crossed her arms. "Robin, it's been three months. Don't you think it's about time you were honest with your parents? You're not making this easy for them, either."

"Easy for you to say," Robin chided back. "You don't have to worry about your father lying behind your back."

Jim frowned. By the time she realized what she had said Jim had already turned away from her and began towards the pillar. Robin put her hand over her mouth. She forgot that his father was a heavy topic. He left poor little Jim and his mom at a difficult time, and they had to run the Benbow Inn by themselves ever since. Things were better now—she found that out on her own three months ago—but the mention of his father still made the young man bitter. "Jim, I'm sorry! You know I didn't mean it!"

He sighed as he leaned against the pillar. "I know you didn't."

She took his hand. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I just… I'm sorry, okay? Let's just talk about something else."

Jim turned back around with a coy smirk on his face. "You know, we don't have to talk."

Robin also smiled. "Jim, my mom will be back any minute."

"Then let's be quick."

* * *

><p>"Uncle Gil, your story's starting to sound like Mom's," Tim complained.<p>

The uncle looked offended. "What do you mean by that?"

"The story's getting all mushy! When's there gonna be action? What happened with those pirates who want to go to Divinia?"

"Now see, this is why I don't like telling story's to anxious little Hawkins boys. They always interrupt."

"Tim's an only child, Gil," Uncle Dick whispered to him.

"We don't know that for sure."

Tim cleared his throat impatiently, but coming from a toddler's mouth, it sounded more like a coughing fit. When the uncles noticed this, they stopped their little conversation and turned back to the boy.

"Okay, we'll cut through this part. I'm getting sickened just remembering it…"

* * *

><p>Before Jim's lips could even touch hers, Robin pushed Jim down into the bushes. "Hi, Daddy."<p>

Jim stopped breathing.

"Hello, darling."

"What are you doing here?"

"I heard you playing as I was walking through the hallway. But when you stopped playing, I thought I heard you talking to somebody…" Headmaster Smyth looked about the gala suspiciously. "Jim's not cutting class again, is he?"

"Nope! Jim's _not_ here! It's just me, _alone_." Jim took that as his cue to scram.

However, instead of going to his class, the cadet ran straight to his dorm. As soon as he was inside, he caught his breath. He was thankful the halls were empty because he was able to get to his dorm without any hassle. And with no one around to catch him, he was scot-free. "That was cl—" Or so he thought when a knock thumped on his door. "Damn."

His door suddenly came to life and slid open, revealing a very irate panther. "Hey, Lionel."

Lionel snarled at him. He was a man-cat of very few words, but his snarls, growls, and quips said so much. This one meant, "What are you doing?"

Jim sighed exasperatedly. "I'm not doing anything wrong, Lionel."

The panther man snarled at him again. Then he sniffed the young man curtly. "What is it that you are hiding?" he hissed.

"Nothing. I promise."

An irate growl erupted from Lionel's chest, which meant, "I'm watching you, Hawkins." And then he left.

Jim let out a deep breath. "How does Robin put up with him every day?" He was caught a few times before, but luckily he was always excused by Headmaster Smyth, and each time he was caught, he was given a warning. The next time he got caught by Lionel, he was on his own.

When Morph sensed that the intimidating presence was gone, he immediately flew to Jim and licked his face. "Quiet down, Morph!" he scolded. "Lionel might hear you and we don't want him coming back." But he couldn't stay mad at the little blob for long. He petted him tenderly before walking to his desk. His makeshift copy of the map of Treasure Planet sat there. He decided to bring it here as a reminder of home and a further reminder of the greatest adventure he had ever endeavored.

"I wonder if I should go to class," he thought to himself as he tossed the map around in his hand. He already missed his morning warm-up and his first period was almost over. He decided to wait out until his next class began.

Suddenly, Jim heard another knock. "What now?" he sighed. He put away his makeshift map and told Morph to hide before answering the door. He pushed the button at the side of his door, revealing a really sweaty Eddie. "What'd you do this time?"

"Nothing! I swear!" Jim gave him a look. "Lionel's out there and my room's too far away."

"Your room is right next door to mine."

"Jim!"

"Okay, calm down, Ed." Jim moved aside and allowed his friend to come in before pressing the door shut. "What happened?"

The disheveled young man took a moment to catch his breath before explaining to his friend. "I was just in the hall talking to Marina," he started, "and of course she doesn't have to go to class because she's not really a student, so Lionel caught me in the hallway. When I tried to explain to him why I wasn't in class, he wouldn't hear a word of it. I even told him I had an alibi, but when I turned around, Marina was gone! I had no choice but to run for my life. But can you believe she would just abandon me like that?"

Jim laughed. "Actually, I can."

"It's not funny!"

"I know. I'm sorry." When he was done laughing, Jim said, "But I don't blame her. You were about to blow her cover. You know she's not a real student, Eddie."

"I know, but is it my fault she's so irresistible?"

Jim didn't answer that. "You need to learn some self-control, Ed. I'm telling you no girl is going to be interested in a guy who stalks them all the time. Haven't you learned from all those other attempts? Remember Chelsea?"

Eddie grinned mischievously. "Oh yeah. I remember Chelsea."

"And Morgan. Phoebe. Caroline. Monique. Alison. You went after them all without a second thought, and then when another girl came your way, you just forgot about them like dust in the wind. Girls don't like to be treated like that."

Eddie looked away guiltily. "Man, am I that shallow?"

"Believe or not Eddie, yes."

"Well that's going to change."

Jim did a double take. "Wait, are you telling Edward Gilligan is going change his arrogant ways and become a new man?" he said with feign astonishment.

"I'm serious, Jim," Eddie insisted. "From now on, Marina's the only girl in my life. And if I'm going to get her, I'm going to need to start acting like you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You got the _Headmaster's_ daughter. You're obviously an expert on these kinds of thing."

"Robin's the only girl I've ever been with," Jim reminded him. "And don't get me involved with your love life. I want nothing to do with it."

Another knock came from the door, making Eddie jump. "It's Lionel!" He jumped behind Jim's desk.

"Calm down, Eddie," said Jim. When he pressed his door open, Marina was revealed to be on the other side. "Hey, Marina."

"Marina?" Eddie immediately flew out of his hiding spot and was at the door in an instant.

However, the brunette ignored him and said to Jim, "I was told to come and get you. Headmaster Smyth wants to speak with you."

"Thanks, Marina. I think I can get to his office on my own."

"You're not going to his office."

"I'm not?" She shook her head gravely. "Did he say why he wanted to speak with me?"

"I'm afraid not." Jim and Eddie looked at each other apprehensively. From the tone of her voice, it didn't sound like this was going to be a good meeting. Without another word, Marina began leading Jim to Headmaster Smyth. Jim looked back at his friend one last time before following her.

Jim noticed she was leading through an unfamiliar corridor. The hall began grow as if protruding to no end. This made the mood even more foreboding and Jim feared what the Headmaster had to say to him. Their journey ended at two large doors. The cadet didn't recognize them. Marina tapped the door once and it opened ajar. Marina stepped aside to let Jim in. She gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded in return before going inside. The door shut behind him, the soft echo drifted eerily through the immense, open space.

The room Jim found himself in what appeared to be a some kind of court. All the well-known, higher status staff members were seated at benches that formed an arch around him. Everyone was looking at him with the same grave expression Marina gave him not too long ago.

"Jim," said the Headmaster, who was seated at the high bench. "Come forward." The anxious cadet stepped forward until he was in the center of the arch. "Jim, as you are aware, you and your friends were sent on a voyage three months ago to rescue my daughter from the clutches of Raphael Jones. And after looking into Raphael's real record, we found something very interesting."

"Sir," Jim spoke up, "if I did something wrong—"

"No, Jim. It wasn't something you did. It was something you failed to do."

"Pardon me?"

Headmaster Smyth didn't look happy with what he was about to say, but he confidently stood and said it anyways. "James Pleiades Hawkins, you are expelled from the Interstellar Academy."

* * *

><p><strong>What a twist!<strong>

_**R&R!**_


	13. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 3

**Tale 2: _A Blast from the Past_  
><span>Chapter 3<span>**

Robin made her way down a long corridor as she was looking for Jim. When her father left the gallery, she knew Jim had disappeared and escaped back into the school. They both didn't want him to get caught, so Jim gave her his schedule so she could find him at the most opportune times so he wouldn't have to skip class—though today was a slight exception.

And as she walked through the dorms, she thought about the little outburst she said to Jim. Why would she say something so insensitive to him knowing that that certain topic made him sensitive? She didn't mean to hurt him, she was just upset, and whenever she was upset, she couldn't control the things that came out of her mouth. But that didn't excuse her behavior. Jim said he understood, but she saw the pain in his eyes. She didn't want to be the one to make him feel that way. All she wanted to do was forget it ever happened, but the only thing she could picture at the moment was the pain-stricken look on his face.

As she continued to ponder on that terrible discussion, Robin finally found her way to Jim's dorm. "Jim," she said as she knocked softly. "It's me. May I come in?"

When the door slid open, instead of being welcomed by her boyfriend, an excited blob flew up to her and licked her face relentlessly. "Okay, Morph! I'm happy to see you, too." Hearing his name, Morph purred against Robin's cheek. A little ferret's head popped out of under her hair and watched the morph in jealousy. Seeing this, Robin petted her head. "Be nice, KiKi. We're here for Jim."

Suddenly, a scruffy-haired Eddie came out of the room. "Looking for me?" he said with a seductive smile on his face.

Robin rolled her eyes. "Eddie, what are you doing in here? Where's Jim?"

"Marina just got him. She said something about your dad wanting to speak with him."

"What? He wasn't caught for skipping class, was he?"

"No, I think it was about something serious. They weren't going to his office."

Robin frowned. If he didn't want to talk with him in his office, there was only one other place…

"Thanks, Eddie." With a grateful nod, Robin sprinted away oblivious that Morph was in tow.

There were only two places where Headmaster Smyth liked to talk to his cadets in private: his office and the council room. Robin had never been in there herself since her access inside the Academy was limited, but she knew that whenever her father was going to punish a cadet severely, he and the other staff members would come together to devise a very special punishment of their own. She wondered why Jim was summoned there. He couldn't have done anything wrong.

Once she arrived at the infamous double doors, Robin found Lionel patrolling one of the doors. "Lionel, what's going on in there?" The Feralis Felinid eye's flickered from her to the thing floating right next to her head. Robin did a double take when she saw Morph. "Morph! You can't just…! Ugh! Never mind him, Lionel. Why is my father talking to Jim?"

"I'm afraid that's classified, Miss," he said.

She sighed. "Of course." When she stepped forward, Lionel stepped in front of her. "Lionel, it's not like I can hear anything they're saying. Those doors are practically soundproof." He grunted at her impassively. "Fine. We'll just wait over there." She only received another grunt as she and Morph headed towards a pillar to wait.

A moment later, Jim exited the room quickly, not bothering to acknowledge Lionel or Robin or even Morph as he passed them. "Jim?" He walked on even as she called his name. "Jim, wait!" He stopped when she grabbed his arm. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

Jim's face remained grim. "Jim?" She placed a hand on his cheek tenderly. "Jim, look at me. Please tell me what's wrong."

He took her hand off his cheek and looked into her eyes. She had never seen such sorrow in those big blues before. This was not good. "I'm sorry, Robin. I won't be seeing you for a while. I have to leave."

"Leave? Did my father assign you another mission?" Robin's heart leapt for a short while in excitement, but seeing the look on Jim's face, her heart placated back into anxiety.

"No, he didn't. I'm going back home."

"Home? But, what…?"

Jim kissed her on the cheek. But this kiss was different from the other ones she had received from him; it was sad, like a permanent goodbye. "I'll write to you as soon as I'm on Montressor, I promise. Goodbye, Robin."

"Jim…"

The young cadet smiled at her one last time before leaving her with no answers. Morph, confused and uncertain, followed close behind.

Robin frowned as he walked away. She wondered what exactly her father did. "Come on, KiKi." The young woman brushed past Lionel and entered the room. It was vaster than she imagined, but it didn't scare her one bit. Once she was at the center of the arched table, her fixated glare was only pointed at the older man seated at the center.

"Robin, what are you doing here?" her father asked.

"What'd you do to Jim?" she rebutted.

"Robin, how I conduct the cadets is none of your concern, even if one of them is courting you."

"This has nothing to do with that! And I'm not leaving until I get an answer!"

Headmaster Smyth looked about his colleagues. One of the teachers, Lieutenant Arrow, gave him a nod of approval. "Darling, Jim is… convicted of treason."

"… What?"

"Three months ago," he continued, "when we were finishing up the mission report from your rescue, we found something interesting in Jim's file. It turns out he… has some roots with pirates. It certainly explains why they weren't able to catch Long John Silver on that Treasure Planet journey."

"Villainous rapscallions like Silver wouldn't be running amok through the galaxy if it wasn't for him!" shouted one of the teachers, who looked to be of an amphibious nature.

"Please, Mr. Amphoboe."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Robin cried. "Why would Jim hide something like that? If it were true, I'm sure he would've told you."

"Well, he didn't. And now he has to face the consequences."

Robin's eyes widened. "You kicked him out."

"It had to be done."

"Father, that's not fair! He's about to graduate! Can't you just—?"

"What's done is done, Robin. I cannot make exceptions for cadets. Jim was an excellent student and I'm sure he would've made a fine spacer, but trust is the one thing we uphold here and lying about something like this… Well, it just puts Jim in a bad place."

"You're punishing him based poorly tossed information?"

"This is serious, Robin. I'm sorry, but Jim is no longer a part of this institution and there's nothing that's going to change my mind."

Robin huffed. "This is ludicrous! How'd you even come about this information? Jim being related to… _pirates_?! Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

"It's in the records. What's done is done."

"But…"

"This conversation is over, Robin," he said more firmly.

She scowled at him before turning around swiftly and leaving the room with sharp vexation. This was not the end. Jim didn't deserve this. She needed to prove his innocence, bring him back, fix her father's mistake. And she wouldn't do it alone.

* * *

><p>"Jim got kicked out of school?"<p>

"_Shhh!_" Robin glared at Eddie. "Could you be any louder?"

"Why did Jim get kicked out?" asked Richard.

"My father said something about his roots going back to pirates."

The boys looked at each other for a moment before laughing. "Jim, related to pirates?" Eddie cackled. "Please tell you're joking!"

"I wouldn't have come out here in the training field to talk to you two if I was joking. My parents don't even know I'm out here."

The boys stopped laughing when they realized she was serious. "But Jim doesn't have a single drop of illicit blood in his veins," said Richard. "And if that were true, how did Headmaster Smyth come about this information so late?"

"Someone probably tipped him off," Eddie suggested.

"Are you saying someone could've set him up?" Robin asked. "But that's nearly impossible. In order to do that, someone would have to sneak into my father's office to get to the cadets' records. And they'd have to sabotage the documents to make them look official."

"Or put in records that were already official," Richard added.

"What are you saying?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but if those records were able to convince your father, maybe they're not as bogus as we think."

"That does sound ridiculous," Eddie murmured.

Robin silently agreed. How was it even possible? Jim being related to pirates? If that were true, Amelia Smollet wouldn't have even recommended him to her father. "Regardless, I'm not going to let Jim go back home without attesting this my way. It's all a terrible misunderstanding, and I'm going to prove it. That's why I came to you guys. I need your help. I can't do this on my own, and you're Jim's best friends."

"I don't know, Robin," Richard said. "Sneaking off campus? That's going AWOL. We could also get kicked out of the Interstellar Academy."

"Yeah, but by the time they realize we're gone, it won't even matter," Eddie said. "Besides, Jim needs us. I'm in."

"Richard, please. You know Jim; he doesn't deserve this. He's worked so hard to get here and it would be a waste to see him get kicked out when he was nearly done."

"I know." The Felinid sighed. "Fine. I'll come with you, just to make sure Eddie behaves," he added with a smile.

"Hey! You don't need to worry about me. So where are we going, girly?"

Robin frowned at him before answering. "Montressor. We're going to get some answers from Jim first, and then maybe we'll find out what's really going on."

"Maybe?" Richard and Eddie echoed.

"I have a feeling somebody's been hiding a few things from him, and from my father."

"So we'll squeeze the truth out of some people. Then what did you plan on having us do after that?"

"Well… I was just going to play it all by ear. I don't exactly have a solid plan." Richard and Eddie gave her a disbelieving look. "What? I never said this was going to be simple."

"I hope you know what you're getting us into, Robin," said Richard.

"Don't worry. If anything happens, it'll all be on me. Now, meet me at the docks tonight at ten sharp. I'll have a sailing vessel ready for us by then so we can just fly straight to Montressor. Jim left a few hours ago. Maybe we can catch up with his ship before he reaches the spaceport."

"Wait, what about Lionel?"

"He checks up on me and my sister before he goes to the cadets' dorms. By the time he reaches the mansion, it'll already be ten o'clock. Just go to the docks and wait for me there. Got it?"

"Sounds gutsy," said Eddie. "Never thought someone could come up with something so witty and outrageous. It's cleverer than anything I've ever come up with. It's foolproof!"

Richard shook his head. "Robin, I don't know you very well, but…"

"I told you it'll be fine, Richard. Just do as I say and it'll be smooth sailing from there. I promise."

He sighed. "Alright. You're the boss."

The three went their separate ways to prepare for their next journey.

Later that night, Robin lay under the covers of her bed as she waited for Lionel to come and check on her. She wore a hooded shirt with a black camisole underneath and fingerless gloves. One of the sleeves on the hooded shirt was shorter than the other one which was torn, but she didn't realize it until she put it on. She would have to deal with that minute problem later. When she saw the shadow of the Feralis Felinid, Robin sighed in relief and got up from bed as soon as he left. KiKi crawled out of her hood and onto her shoulder. "Let's go, KiKi." Grabbing her satchel, Robin opened her bedroom window and climbed out.

It was surprisingly easy to sneak past the Smyth soldiers—she didn't understand why they were around since they were so dense—and she was about to get to the docks in no time. She saw two figures standing idly about. She assumed it was Eddie and Richard.

"Eddie? Richard?"

"Who else?"

"Good. Now let's get ready to embark." Robin led them to ship she prepared for them. On the side it was the name, _SRL Destiny_. The ship was small compared to the other sailing vessels, but Eddie and Richard couldn't help but gawk.

"What the hell is that?"

"A boat," Robin replied casually.

"That's not a boat."

"Barque, boat, same difference."

"That is not the same," the boys said in unison.

"Look, it's the smallest we've got and it's small enough for all of us to manage by ourselves. Besides, my father barely uses it and it's so tiny compared to the others he won't notice it's gone. So don't worry."

When they all walked up the gangplank, they saw that they weren't the first aboard. The silhouette slowly approached them, until they could finally make out who it was. "Marina," Robin gasped out. "What are you doing out here?"

"I figured you guys would want to help Jim once you found out about his expulsion," she simply said.

"You're not going to rat us out, are you?" asked Eddie.

"I can't rat on you if I'm not here." The Aquarius wore a leather bodice on top of a white blouse and a scarlet bandana on her head. There was a bag on her shoulder. She was already prepared to join them.

Robin smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Marina."

"Don't mention it. Now let's move before anyone catches us."

Robin went down to the engine room to prepare the launch. She turned the gravity back on as they floated away from the dock. In the communication tube, she heard Marina shout to her, "Ready for launch!"

"Aye!" Robin pulled back the notch that ignited the engine. She felt it purr and the floors rumble as the ship flew into space. KiKi shrunk back behind her neck in discomfort, chirruping up a storm. When it was over, Robin petted the ferret to soothe her unease. She went back up to join the others on deck finding Eddie and Richard gawking at her once again. "What?"

"Since when did you become so great at engineering?"

She shrugged in response. "When you're stuck in a mansion for so long and bored out of your mind, you find time to do... other things."

"Well, you did a good job," said Marina. "We're right on course to Montressor, which is due north."

"How long do you think it'll take to get to the Montressor spaceport?"

"As long as we stay on course without any obstacles, we'll be there by tomorrow."

"Then we should rest up before we get there," said Richard. "And if we want to get there without any interference, then someone should stand watch. I volunteer for the first shift."

"That's very noble of you, Richard, but I'll take the first shift," said Robin. "I know this ship up and down, and this was my idea. I'll show you guys to your cabins first."

Unfortunately, the cabins weren't like the ones on the _HMS Bloodhound_. They had to sleep in hammocks, but no one complained—except for Eddie, but everyone just ignored him, and Marina hit him in the shoulder for complaining.

Back up deck, Robin stared out into the Etherium as she thought about Jim. She wondered how he would react once they were on Montressor. No doubt he'd be surprised. She felt chills through her body as she walked across the deck to the bowsprit. This was the first adventure she planned on her own. Sure, getting kidnapped was filled with all sorts of excitement, but she didn't want to be the damsel in distress in every adventure. Hopefully, this trip would prove to her father that not only did he make a mistake by kicking Jim out of the Interstellar Academy, but that she was also a very capable spacer.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	14. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 4

**Tale 2: _A Blast from the Past_  
><span>Chapter 4<span>**

Sarah Hawkins watched her son with concern as he mopped around the Benbow Inn dining room halfheartedly. Ever since he got kicked out of the Interstellar Academy, Jim was in such a depressing mood. Not even B.E.N. could stir him enough to get him out of his stupor. He grew so melancholic up to a point when everyone grew concerned. Sarah didn't know how she could comfort him. Being a spacer was Jim's lifelong dream, and now that he was no longer in the Academy, his dreams were basically crushed, hopelessness took over, replacing the bright and breezy, laidback Jim Hawkins they all knew and loved.

"Jim, I think you should take a break," she said as she approached her son. However, Jim didn't seem to hear her and he only continued to mop the same area of floor he been concentrating on for the past thirty minutes. "Jim?"

When she put her hand on his shoulder, the young man jumped. "Wha—? Oh, sorry, Mom. What'd you say?"

She rolled her eyes. "I said you should take a break. You're not yourself right now and I think it would best for you to just relax."

"Mom, I'm not going to do that. Now that I no longer have a future, I'm not going to slack off and become completely useless again."

Sarah frowned at her son. She took the mop from him and had him look her in the eye. "Now you listen to me, young man. You are _not_ useless. And just because you were kicked out of the Interstellar Academy doesn't mean you no longer have a future. Now I don't know why they expelled you in the first place and since you neglected to tell me I don't think I ever will, but that just means they lost one truly extraordinary spacer on the line."

A small grin formed on Jim's face. "Thanks, Mom... I miss her."

Sarah kissed his forehead. "I'm sure Robin misses you too, but I also think that she wouldn't want you to wallow around my inn when there are so many other things you could be doing, like resting or having some fun. You've been working ever since you got here and you deserve a break, Jim. Take the day off, do something other than wallowing about. You're bringing everyone down and I don't want you driving customers away with your gloominess. Morph doesn't even want to be around you. And I don't think I've ever seen B.E.N. so sad before, either." The Bio-Electronic Navigator sat slumped in a corner looking ready to drop.

Jim chuckled. "Fine. I'll go out, but only if you need something."

Sarah frowned in contemplation. "I do think we're a bit low on purps and some Andronian bread. Alright, you can go to the market for me, but as soon as you're back, you're going to do something for yourself."

"Alright, Mom."

"I'm serious, Jim. If I have to make you ride your solar surfer I will."

"Mom, I get."

Jim shook his head once he was out the door. He never thought he'd hear the day his mother would actually allow him to go on his solar surfer and cause mischief.

Picturing himself riding _The Falcon_ only brought him out of his terribly depressing thoughts for a short while. This reminded him of Robin, and Robin reminded him of the Interstellar Academy. Now he was never going to see either of them again. Now that he thought about, he completely forgot about that letter he promised to write to Robin. He'd have to do that once he was back at the inn.

At the marketplace, Jim sluggishly walked through the crowds as he tried to get to the bakery and the fruit stand. The venders were especially nice to him since the Hawkins' were so familiar with everyone in town, especially his generous mom. Ever since they rebuilt the Benbow, word spread, and there wasn't anyone Jim wasn't familiar with.

"Hey, Jim," said the fruit vender. "How's it been going at the Interstellar Academy?" The young man grunted in response. "That bad, huh?"

"Long story, Louie. Not in the mood. My mom wanted me to get some more purps."

"Sure. I just got a fresh shipment this morning. I can't seem to get rid of them, but I'm grateful your mom puts these purps to good use."

"Well, she never likes to be wasteful."

As Sam went to retrieve the purps, Jim someone slowly approach the fruit stand. "Hello, stranger." When he turned, he found himself face-to-face with a hooded stranger. Jim didn't bother to reply, not wanting to get into any trouble. "You don't recognize me?"

"I don't normally associate with shady characters, so no. I don't know who you are."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," Jim said with a hint of irritation in his voice. Louie wasn't getting those purps fast enough.

"Well, maybe this will shed some light." Without warning, Jim was suddenly pulled into a kiss.

Thoughts of disgust began to enter his mind until he suddenly recognized those pair of warm lips. When he pulled back, he saw those glistening emerald eyes under the shade of the hood. "Robin?"

"How'd you guess?"

"Wha… What are you doing here?"

"Are you not happy to see me?" she pouted playfully.

"No, I am. It's just... What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I heard you got kicked out of the Academy, so I came to see you."

"And you came alone?"

"Of course not. Eddie, Richard, and Marina are back at the Benbow Inn."

"… What?"

* * *

><p>Just as Robin said, Eddie, Richard, and Marina were back at the inn, much to Jim's surprise. Robin was yet to explain why they were really on Montressor, but Jim already figured it had something to do with his expulsion. He knew they wanted answers, and so did his mother and the Dopplers and even B.E.N., but he was still uncomfortable talking about the topic. So as soon as he and Robin were back at the inn, Jim immediately secluded himself in his room.<p>

"How are we supposed to get answers from Jim if he won't even get out of his room to see his friends?" Eddie asked.

"He's probably still sensitive about his expulsion," Robin said. "We shouldn't push him for answers until he's ready."

"But we can't wait long," Richard added. "Headmaster Smyth's probably already figured out we're all missing. It'll only be a matter of time before they find us here. And if we can't force the answers out of him, then this trip will prove to be pointless."

"How about we skip Jim's interrogation," Marina suggested. "Didn't you have a few questions to ask Ms. Hawkins, Robin?"

"Yeah, I did. I'll be right back. You guys stay here and help B.E.N. and the other workers."

Eddie groaned. "How come whenever we come here we always end up doing work?"

Robin ignored him as she headed up to Jim's room. Sarah was still up there trying to get her son to come out, but Robin knew it was a useless effort. "Hello, Sarah."

Sarah stopped knocking when she noticed the young lady. "Oh, hello Robin. Jim still won't come out."

"He wasn't very responsive when he saw me at the market. Has he been like this all day?"

"I'm afraid so. He's still so convinced that he's not good enough to become a full-fledged spacer. I don't know how to get him out of this funk." Sarah knocked on the door once more. "Jim, come out this instant!"

"It's okay, Sarah. Maybe it's best we leave Jim alone. He'll come out when he's ready."

She sighed. "Perhaps you're right. Come on. I'll make you and the others some tea."

As they headed downstairs, Sarah said, "By the way, Robin, does your father know that you and rest of Jim's friends are here?"

"Honestly, no. He'll find out eventually, but we'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Captain Amelia or the doctor. We're trying to find out why Jim was expelled in the first place and we're not leaving without some answers. He's worked so hard to get where he was and it's not fair that he got punished for something he wasn't even aware of. Sarah, do you think you have any idea why Jim would get expelled?"

"Well, since Jim wouldn't tell me, I'm afraid I have no idea."

"Are you sure?"

Sarah gave her a look. "I'm pretty sure… Is there something you would like to ask me, dear?"

As soon as they reached the dining hall, Robin stopped her. "Sorry if I seem a bit forward, but before I came here, my father said something about Jim's roots going back to… pirates. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Sarah hesitated a moment before pulling Robin by the sleeve into the kitchen. When she was sure they were alone, she began to confess. "It was a long time ago when Jim's father left us. We were running low on money, so he resulted to… very, _very_ low means."

"So Jim's father went into… piracy?"

Sarah sighed sadly. "I didn't want to say anything to Jim around the time because despite his father's promise, the money never came and we've had to run the Benbow Inn by ourselves ever since. And after he left without saying goodbye, it would've torn him apart. I don't know how your father found out about that, though. I'm the only one who knows about his father's… turning. And I still haven't told Jim. Robin, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell him, either. It would only make him feel worse and he really doesn't need that right now."

Robin couldn't believe her ears. Everything her father said was true, and Jim still wasn't aware of it. What was worse was that his mother also knew and she didn't say anything to him all these years. Now she wanted her to lie as well? She wasn't sure she could do that to her beloved, but Robin agreed that telling Jim the truth would only make him more miserable. "Fine. I won't say anything for now," she sufficed. "But you have to tell him eventually, Sarah. He deserves to know the truth."

"I know, and I will. But for now, let's go prepare some tea for the others. You guys can stay overnight, and unless you've come up with a plan, you're going to have to go back to the Interstellar Academy."

"Fine." Robin went over to the stove to find a kettle when she suddenly felt dizziness come over her.

Sarah noticed this as Robin was leaning over the stove. "Are you okay, dear?"

"Yeah… I'm fine. Now where's that tea kettle…"

Sarah watched cautiously before she went back to work.

* * *

><p>"So Jim's dad is really… a pirate?"<p>

"Now we don't know that for sure."

"But you just said…"

"So how about we get to those pirates!" Uncle Gil said quickly.

"Smooth," Uncle Dick whispered sarcastically.

"Shut up," he said with a glare before continuing. "Meanwhile, in a pub on the Montressor spaceport, trouble began to spur for an innocent bartender."

"What's a bartender?" asked the innocent little boy.

"It's someone who serves special kinds of drinks to adults."

"Oh… that doesn't sound so—"

"I'm about to get to the pirate part like you wanted, Tim. Do you really want me to tell you about bartenders or do you want me to continue the story?"

"Story."

"That's what I thought."

* * *

><p>"Here you go, mate. The best rum on this side of the galaxy." The bartender slid the mug across the counter, the recipient catching it flawlessly. The man behind the counter rubbed his forehead with his handkerchief before stuffing it back in his pocket and grabbing one of the clean mugs to dry off. He was glad there weren't many customers today; now he could go home early. He wasn't feeling quite right for some reason and he couldn't shake it off.<p>

When that satisfied customer left, another took his place at the bar and he immediately grabbed a clean, dry glass. "What can I get for you, sir?"

The burly man slowly limped over to take a seat and leaned on the counter. "I heard tat this bar has the best rum on the Montressor spaceport."

"You heard right. Coming right up."

After he slid the mug down the counter, the bartender turned away from the burly man and put a hand to his forehead. It felt clammier than usual. He was getting worse.

"You don't look so good, lad," said the burly man.

"I'm fine," said the bartender. "I'm just coming down with a headache is all."

After a sip, the burly man put down the mug and reached for his hat. "You know, the rum ain't the only reason I found myself gallivanting into this rinky-dink pub. I also heard tat there was a… diviner in our midst."

The bartender chuckled. "Sounds like a bunch of nonsense."

"Now you know tats far from the truth, Gabe Robinson." The burly man removed his hat with his other arm—his robotic arm.

The bartender glared at him. "Who the hell are you and how'd you find out about me?" he whispered suspiciously.

"When one has spent his lifetime wandering the infinite depths of space, they tend ta hear a lot. And I've recently acquired some information 'bout your kind, like whenever you sense one is near, you get ta be a li'l… feverish."

Gabe sighed and wiped his clammy forehead once more. "Look, pal, I'm just trying to live my life. I no longer associate with the likes of you... _pirates_. It's brought me nothing but trouble."

"I'm only here to chat, lad. Nothing more. And I've seemed ta have lost me crew, so I am no a threat ta you."

The bartender looked about his pub. Seeing that there were no other customers lurking about to listen in on their conversation, he relaxed a bit, but not so much that he'd lose his guard against this criminal. "Fine, but make it quick. I don't want the authorities coming in here catching me exchanging words with a miscreant."

"Don't you worry, lad. I only want ta know where Divinia is."

Gabe laughed as he began to dry off another wet mug. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you there. I'm a diviner, not a magician."

"Only a diviner can get me there, and yer the only one within a light-year."

"Well unfortunately for you, I'm unable to tell you where Divinia is without my compass."

"Then perhaps you'd be generous enough ta tell me where the other diviner is."

Gabe sighed. "Even if I can sense another diviner, I still wouldn't be able to tell you where they were, either. I'm sorry. Now please, get out of my bar."

"I'm afraid you two aren't going anywhere."

The shatter of a beer mug echoed through the bar when Gabe saw the strangers who entered. The leader in the front was human, but all the rest were alien. And from their attire, it was obvious they didn't just come for a few rounds of beer. "Shoot."

"Captain Leland," Silver growled under his breath.

"I've never thought I'd come face to face with the infamous Long John Silver. Now he gets to be my special prisoner along with the diviner." Captain Leland pointed a plasma gun at the two. "Now come with us quietly and maybe we'll make this less painful for you two."

Slowly, Gabe set down the rag and began to get from behind the counter. As he did so he reached for his emergency plasma gun from under the counter. When he pointed it at the captain, it was immediately shot out of his hand. Gabe glared at Captain Leland as he rubbed his sore hand. "Nice try, Gabe. Men, secure them." Two men ran behind the counter before Gabe could rush off.

"Not so fast, matey!" Silver's robotic arm changed into a pistol, which was aimed at the two men who were after Gabe. "Git out o' here, lad!"

"It's useless, Ssssilver," a serpentine voice hissed. The two pirates moved out of the way when another one came into view. "You're outnumbered."

Silver glared at his old arachnid colleague. "Scroop…"

"In the flesh."

"Why you two-faced son-of-a—" And before Silver could blink, Scroop's claw clocked him, sending him into a world of pain and darkness.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	15. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 5

**Tale 2: **_**A Blast from the Past  
><strong>_**Chapter 5**

Later that night, Robin could barely catch a wink of sleep. She woke up in a cold sweat, hyperventilating as she usually did after she had that reoccurring nightmare. It was the same, terrible vision every night and it was practically taking over her life. She was almost afraid to go to sleep because of it. She even woke KiKi. The little ferret chattered ferociously for being rudely woken up.

"Sorry, girl," Robin apologized as she rubbed her back in soothing circles. "I can't shake this dream. Maybe a drink will calm my nerves." The six-legged ferret agreed wordlessly before climbing onto her shoulder.

As soon as she was in the kitchen, Robin saw that she and KiKi weren't the only ones who couldn't sleep that night. "Jim? What are you doing up?"

The former cadet looked up from his sliced Andronian bread and sighed in relief. "I used to get these late night cravings when I was little. I guess they came back."

Robin smiled sympathetically. "Well, how about getting me a drink of water while you're at it." KiKi chirruped angrily. Robin owed her for waking her up in the middle of the night. "And a piece of bread too, please," she added.

Jim smirked. "As you wish, _princess_," he said playfully.

As soon as they both had bread and a glass of water, Jim said to Robin, "You haven't told me why you were wandering the kitchen so late."

Robin stopped mid-sip of her water sighed. "I couldn't sleep. I had… a nightmare." She still hadn't told Jim about the vision she'd been having for the past three months. She didn't want him to worry about her, and telling him now would only make him worry more. Like Jim didn't have enough stress in his life.

"It was a vision, wasn't it?"

"No."

"Robin…"

Jim knew her too well; she knew better than to try and hide anything from him. "Yes."

"What did you see?"

She played with her nearly empty glass thoughtfully. "I'd rather not say. I'm not too comfortable talking about it."

"Was it that bad?"

"It's worse than you can imagine," she said with a shudder.

Jim rubbed her arm tenderly to calm her. "It's okay. I won't force you to tell me."

They were silent for a while. Robin took this as the perfect opportunity to finally ask him. "Jim, what did my father tell you?"

"Robin, let's not do this."

"Do what? All I want to know is why exactly my father expelled you. You didn't do anything wrong, Jim. You don't deserve this."

"But who am I to question that?" Jim immediately stood from the table and began to pace about. "Robin, before I came to the Interstellar Academy, I was no good in school. I had bad grades, I got into fights, I got suspended on multiple accounts—you name it, I did it. Entering the Academy was a miracle in itself. Even with Amelia's recommendation, I had to work my butt off just to get accepted. Knowing my reputation, I'm a little surprised that I managed to stay there so long. So if Headmaster Smyth thinks it's best to kick me out then so be it." When he was out of steam, he sat back down. He covered his face in exasperation. "But I'd be lying to myself if I wasn't disappointed."

Robin rubbed his back. "We all are, Jim. But I don't want to hear you saying awful things about yourself. If anything else that just means you deserve to be in the Academy more than anyone!" Jim sunk his head further into his hands. "Jim, I don't like seeing you like this. You've given up so easily. You're not the Jim I… fell in love with."

* * *

><p>"Uncle Gil, the story's getting icky again," Tim complained.<p>

"It won't be that way for long. It gets better."

"How much better?"

"Well, Jim was so tired of hearing the same thing over and over again he practically blew a gasket at Robin."

* * *

><p>"Robin, I'm tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. First my mom now you—who else is going to start telling me that your father made a huge? Eddie? Richard? Maybe even Marina if she's feeling generous! What then? Are you going to tell me that I'll soon have the 'lights coming off my sails'? Like I haven't heard that bull before! You know the last person to tell me that was—"<p>

"Silver! The man you looked up to! And he wasn't far from the truth." Jim stopped pacing and looked away from Robin shamefully. "Jim, this may not be something you want to hear, you can deny it all you want, but you are an incredible person. You would've been an equally incredible spacer, too, and it's my father's loss for kicking you out of his institution. Your friends and I came here to help you and it would be a huge waste if—"

"You're right," he said as he turned back to Robin. "It was a complete waste for you guys to come all the way to Montressor just for a lost cause."

Robin was practically red in the face. All she wanted to do was help and he wasn't the least bit grateful. They weren't doing this out of pity, but Jim didn't see it that way. "I'm sorry you feel that way," she said as her voice trembled. "And I'm sorry you're so blind to see how stupid you're acting! I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night and then we'll go back to the Academy and you'll never have to see us again—if that's what you really want!"

"That _is_ what I really want!"

"Then goodnight!"

"Goodnight!"

After Robin stormed off, Jim face-palmed. He couldn't believe he said those awful things to her. He never thought he'd speak to her that way let alone holler at her. She was just trying to make him feel better, but he acted so ungrateful. It was too late to apologize now. He was sure the whole inn heard their argument. "I'm the biggest idiot in the world." Jim left the kitchen without cleaning up his platter. It would be someone else's problem tomorrow.

Meanwhile, as Robin ran back to her room, hot tears blinded her path and she stumbled in front of her door. She was too upset to open it, so she slumped down against the door and cried into her knees. That was the biggest fight she and Jim ever had, and they barely had any spats in their relationship. She wondered if they'd ever recover from that one. He said some really hurtful things. He most likely said those things out of anger, but still, she never thought he'd speak to her like that.

KiKi climbed onto her arms and began licking her face in comfort. Robin sat up, wiped her eyes, and petted the ferret gratefully. "Thanks, girl. I'm sure I just woke up the whole inn, if they hadn't woken up from that fight. Let's go back to bed."

The ferret chirruped happily as her human companion got up from the floor and entered the sanctuary where the comfy cloud of bliss was waiting for them to slumber upon.

However, as her six-legged friend slept peacefully on the pillow next to her, Robin still couldn't get a wink of sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, things were awkward for the Interstellar Academy cadets. It was obvious everyone in the inn heard Jim and Robin's argument, but they all acted like it was the least obvious thing. It wasn't until Robin came down and Jim came out of the kitchen when things suddenly became a lot more intense for them. When they made eye contact, they quickly turned away and went on doing what they were doing.<p>

To break the tension, Marina decided to act first and went to see what was wrong with Robin. "Robin, can I talk to you for a moment?" She dragged the poor girl into an empty hallway. "Um… so what happened between you and Jim?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she snapped. "I'm pretty sure the whole inn heard us."

Marina didn't deny that claim and she felt rather uncomfortable confronting Robin at the moment. She never had this kind of problem with boys before, so she didn't know what to say to comfort her. "Well… I'm sorry…?"

Robin sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I'm a little cranky. I didn't get a wink of sleep last night after the fight. And I've been having these terrible nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

"It's not really important. What's important right now is that we prepare to leave. I'm sure you already heard that Jim doesn't want us here, so we shouldn't waste our time any further."

"It'd be a huge waste of time if we went back."

"Jim doesn't want us here anymore, Marina. Why would I want to stay here any longer?"

"To prove him innocent. That was the point of this whole trip."

"But we can't prove him innocent, not if he doesn't want to be. And the only proof we have is…" Robin stopped when she realized what she was about to say. She couldn't tell anyone about what Sarah told her about Jim's father, but it was hard to keep it to herself when it was such a vital piece of evidence that could (or could not) clear Jim's name. She cleared her throat and continued, "Look, the point is we have no reason to be on Montressor any longer. If we go back now, I could try and convince my father not to give you and the boys a very harsh punishment."

"Robin, we're not leaving."

"Marina, I—"

"Look, we know things aren't very good between you and Jim at the moment, but that is no reason to give up on him. Jim needs our help whether he wants it or not, and what kind of friends would we be if we left him to deal with this alone?"

Robin sighed in defeat. Even though Jim was being a jackass, she still loved him and she knew she couldn't leave without helping him. "You're right, Marina. But what can we do?"

Marina put a hand on her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "We'll think of something."

Meanwhile, Eddie and Richard watched as Jim began clearing empty tables. "Should we say something?" Eddie asked.

"It's none of our business," Richard said. "We shouldn't interfere."

"But that was a pretty serious argument. I know it's a relationship thing, but Robin's our friend, too. And since Marina is already talking to her, the least we can do is talk to Jim."

"I don't think that will be necessary."

Eddie looked over to see Ms. Hawkins walking over to her son and pulling him back into the kitchen. "Yeah, no one's better at 'talking' to him than his mom."

In the kitchen, Sarah crossed her arms as she waited for an explanation from her son. "I can't believe the way you were speaking to Robin last night! I've raised you better than that, Jim, and I know I didn't teach you to treat a lady like that!"

"I didn't mean to yell at her, Mom," he defended. "I was just upset… I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Well, you did, and you getting kicked out of the Interstellar Academy is no excuse to take your anger out on her. I know it's a bother to hear the same thing over and over, but Jim, you need to realize that we all just want to help you. Your friends risked their necks coming here to prove you innocent and this is how you repay them: by acting like a petulant child."

"I know. I'm sorry. I realize I haven't been acting like myself. I'm going to change that."

"Good. Now I expect you to apologize to Robin. _Immediately_."

Jim sighed. "I'll get to it. I just have a few tables to…"

Suddenly, the inn began to quake. Jim and his mother left the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. A shadow in the shape of a ship enveloped the dining hall. Everyone gasped, except for Sarah, who went up to the window and adjusted the blinds to see who it was. Once she saw the pirate, she merely sighed in exasperation. "Not again," she muttered. "Everybody evacuate!"

"Evacuate to where?" Jim said.

"There's an underground bunker."

"You guys go," Robin said. "The rest of us will leave."

"Is that wise?" Sarah asked.

"I have a feeling I know what these pirates want, and it's not in your inn. We'll get them away from the Benbow."

Robin and her crew made their hasty retreat and ran to the back where the barque was waiting. Like Robin predicted, the ship flew back to where their ship was. And also like she predicted, they weren't very friendly.

"Marina, start up the ship!" Robin shouted. "Let's get ahead before—"

"Robin, watch out!"

A plasma ball destroyed the gangplank just as Robin was about to get on the ship. Before she fell, a solar surfer came by and caught her. Jim had her by the waist while his other hand was handling the sail. Robin watched him as he wordlessly flew the surfer over the barque. He looked angry and determined.

Once they were both on the ship, Robin ran to the communication tube next to the helm. "Marina, full speed ahead!"

"_Aye!_"

Everyone held on as the ship blasted into the Etherium. Once they saw the pirate ship was no longer behind them, everyone relaxed. "I can't believe we just left the inn," Robin said. "Now Sarah has to fend for herself."

"I don't think she would want us to go back," Jim said. "My mom's a fighter."

"And I think you were right about them not going after the inn," Richard added. "How'd you know they'd be after us?"

She shrugged innocently. "Just a feeling." Jim looked at her but said nothing. He knew it was more than "just a feeling", but he doubted Robin would tell her anything after their fight.

"So Jim, does this mean you're joining us now?" Eddie asked.

From what he could see, he was stuck on the ship and he had nowhere else to go. "I guess I am," he said.

"Alright, buddy! Welcome to the crew!"

Robin said nothing. Seeing as they had no choice but to allow Jim on her father's barque, she didn't want to say anything that would increase the tension between them or damper the crew's mood.

"Don't get too comfortable yet, you guys," Marina said as she came up from the galley. "We have to figure out another plan. If those pirates are still after us, we need to find somewhere to hide."

"Or we can figure out what they want," Eddie suggested.

"Why would we go looking for trouble? We can't face a bunch of two-faced scallywags on our own. We're outnumbered and outgunned."

"We'll figure out a plan later," Robin finally intervened. "But right now, everybody go get a good night's rest. I'll steer the ship to a safer location. Richard, Eddie, show Jim his cabin quarters." The guys exchanged uncomfortable glances before taking their friend down to where the other cabins were. Jim looked back at Robin before following his friends.

Marina approached Robin slowly once the guys were gone. "Are you going to be okay with this?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just… you and Jim—"

"It was just one fight. I think we can tolerate being on the same ship together."

"If you say so."

Before she left, Robin called after her. "Thanks for looking after me, Marina. I've never really seen you as one of those girlfriend types who Ican confess my feelings to."

"There's more to me than this rough exterior," she said with a smile.

Once the Aquarius was gone, Robin went back to her own cabin. Her words were deceptive. If they didn't make up soon, getting along with Jim on this trip was going to be easier said than done.

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	16. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 6

**Tale 2: **_**A Blast from the Past  
><strong>_**Chapter 6**

Gabe shivered as he hid under the protection of the frigid shade. Being in the brig brought back some painful memories, but he also had some good ones despite the experiences he had when he was in a pirate crew. The past suddenly came back to him at the worst possible time, when he was finally living a humble life by himself. Then that wretched Long John Silver appeared in his bar and more pirates came and took them both as their prisoners. And then there was that throbbing pain in the back of his head…

Gabe grunted as he cradled his head. _No, it's not possible! I'm the only one! I have to be…_

"You seem to be fairing worse than before, lad," his brig-mate croaked. Of course the old cyborg didn't look much better, but at least he had his wits about him. And he definitely wasn't suffering from the greatest migraine in history. He ignored Silver as he tried to get over the pain. The last thing he wanted was pity from a pirate.

Suddenly the top of the brig opened up and a rope was tossed over. A few pirates came and dragged the poor man out of the hole and began pulling him along to the captain's quarters. They ruthlessly dropped him in front of the captain's desk, which increased the aching pain in his head, but he didn't show it. He would not look weak in front of these pirates; he wasn't going to give into their demands.

In the captain's quarters, the only people present were the diviner, the first mate, and the vicious captain himself. "Gabriel Robinson," Captain Leland's voice echoed through the captain's quarters. "I hope you've finally come to your senses."

The diviner sat up with a quiet groan and glowered at him. "I'm afraid… I haven't."

Leland frowned as he made his way over to Gabe. "I know this may be difficult for you seeing as you may or may not be the only one of your kind left, and I can see that this pain is… insufferable. We'd be happy to cease your suffering if you'd just cooperate with us."

"I'd rather work in the Kinapis coalmines than help the likes of you."

"We can have that arranged, _after_ you give us the location of the other diviner, that is."

Gabe spat in his face. "Never."

Leland backhanded him with a scowl. "Very well," he said as he wiped the saliva off his face. "Then I guess we'll have to go back to that inn and ask the tenants where Divinia is…"

The diviner's head quipped up. "What inn?"

The captain saw his reaction and smirked. "Oh, this little bistro we just passed by called the Benbow Inn. It's a very… extravagant place, or so I've heard. It must be filled with many customers, which means they may have many valuables. I wonder what we'd find in there…"

Gabe took in a breath. He knew what game Leland was playing. He didn't want to give in to this tyrant, but he couldn't let innocent lives be at risk. "I felt something," he said, "due north."

"Good man. Now, Reginald, take our guest to his special cell. We can't have our goods tainted by that big galoot."

The Feralis Felinid grunted in response before pulling Gabe up to his feet. As he was dragged away, the diviner held his head down in shame. While the Benbow would be left alone, the people they were after would soon be put in jeopardy. Gabe never thought he'd feel this miserable again, but combined with the pain in his head, it was completely unbearable.

Three steps later, Gabe couldn't take it any longer. He let the darkness take over and he no longer felt pain.

* * *

><p>Jim lay back in his sling contemplatively as his cabin mates rested peacefully in their bunks. The crew was taking shifts to watch out for the pirates and it was Robin's turn. All day, she had been avoiding Jim in any way she could. She even skipped dinner and hid out in her room, avoiding the rest of the crew as well. He knew then that they couldn't continue this awful limbo. He was starting to miss being by her side, so he spent all night trying to think of a way to clear the air.<p>

After hours of restless thinking, Jim still hadn't figured out how he was going to apologize to her, but after he remembered their fight, he couldn't think of anything that would pass as a dignified apology.

As if reading his thoughts, Morph flew over his face and morphed into a mini version of Robin sitting in the crow's nest. A mini Jim climbed over and pulled out a rose to the mini Robin, who gladly took the rose and pulled little Jim into the crow's nest for a make-out session. Jim laughed and pushed the image away. "It's not going to be that easy, Morph," he said. "If I'm going to apologize to Robin, I have to do something more meaningful." Morph turned into a one miniature Robin and started making kissy faces at him. "Hopefully, if I make this right, we'll end on that note." He pushed the morph away as he climbed out of bed and went up the deck.

When he was outside, he looked the crow's nest. He couldn't see anyone in it from where he stood, but he knew Robin was up there. It was her favorite spot. Before he went up there, he went down into the galley and came out with a full handkerchief. He climbed up the mast and into the crow's nest. As he predicted, Robin was sitting on the other side with her face buried in her knees.

Jim coughed to try and get her attention. She didn't budge. He coughed again. He still got nothing. He sighed and took a step closer. He tapped her with her foot but that barely did anything, either. Jim shook his head. It was useless. Robin wasn't going to come out of her shell. So instead of trying to coax her to at least look up from her position, Jim sat on the floor next to her. He held it out the handkerchief. "Here."

Finally, the blonde looked up. Her eyes looked tired, Jim noticed. And red. "What?"

"I got you this from the kitchen. I figured you'd be hungry since you didn't join us for dinner." He held it out further. Robin glanced from the handkerchief to Jim and back. "Come on. Take it."

She reluctantly did so and set it aside, allowing her ferret friend to indulge in her little meal. "Is that all?" Robin asked.

"No. We need to talk." Robin looked away. "Robin, we had a stupid fight—a _really_ stupid fight. And I said some things that I really regret saying to you."

"Well, you should."

"I do, and I don't know how I can possibly make it up to you."

"Jim, right now I just want to focus on the mission at hand." After she said that, Robin suddenly forgot what they planned on doing. They still had no proof Jim was innocent, and their argument was still fresh in her mind, tearing at her heart slowly. And as much as she wanted to believe Jim's sincere words, she just couldn't give in. "You might as well go back to the cabin and rest up. There's nothing more you can say to me."

"But Robin—"

"Look, I've been thinking, and maybe being apart for a little while will do us some good."

"Maybe it will," Jim said. "But how do you know that it won't make things worse? I don't want you to think we were a mistake." Robin looked into Jim's eyes. She'd never seen him look so desperate. Was he really that afraid of losing her? "I'm going to fix this, Robin. I promise. I will do whatever it takes to keep us together. I don't want to lose you."

Robin couldn't do anything but give him a sad smile. She liked that Jim was making an effort to keep them together, and she knew he was truly sorry for what he said, but she couldn't forgive. Not yet. "I don't want to deal with this right now."

"Robin—"

Suddenly, something flashed over the ship and hit the starboard side, making the whole structure shake. Jim held Robin as the crow's nest shifted. When the rumbling stopped, Jim and Robin quickly climbed out of the crow's nest and joined the rest of the crew on the quarter deck. Marina already had a telescope in hand, looking out for the assailants.

"What just happened?" Eddie asked frantically.

"We've been found," Marina answered. She handed the telescope to Robin and pointed in the direction where the shot came from.

The blonde saw the pirate ship from earlier. Two pirates were at the seats of the plasma cannons. "They're attacking us?"

Another harsher shot rippled through the ship, sending them all down. Robin got up and ran over to the side of the ship. There was a rope coming out the side which was attached to the pirate ship. "Oh no."

The others shortly joined her and gapped at the rope. "We're going to need something to cut that," Eddie said. "Something big."

Once again, the ship shuddered violently. Jim caught Robin as they all fell on the floor. Robin quickly pushed herself up and went back to starboard. The pirate ship seemed to be coming closer, but from the vibrations of the ship, she knew it was just the opposite. "They're reeling us in!"

"What do we do?" Richard inquired.

Robin looked back and forth from the ship to her very small and unarmed crew. There was no way they could make it out of this without some sort of plan. "I don't know. There aren't any longboats on this barque. We have no way of escaping and no way to defend ourselves… We're going to have to surrender."

"What?!" Eddie cried. "We're just going to give up?"

"There's not much we can do, Eddie," Jim said. "We've run out of options."

"Come on! We can still go up against them! They may be pirates, but we're from the Interstellar Academy, the most refined military academy in the galaxy! They've got nothing on us."

* * *

><p>One by one the pirates lined the fettered cadets in front of their commanding officer. As soon as their barque connected with the pirate ship, the pirates immediately took over and captured them all. Everyone glared over at the one particular cadet at the end who looked away innocently.<p>

"You were saying?" Marina said snidely.

"How was I supposed to know?" Eddie murmured.

"Besides the fact that they outnumbered us five to one," Jim said angrily.

"Well, everyone was giving up so easily. Someone had to step up and, you know, _not_ give up."

"Remind me again how we keep getting pulled into Ed's pep talks?" Richard asked. Everyone just shrugged. For some reason, Eddie was very persuasive despite his terrible reputation of getting into messes.

"Well, you all did a fine job of giving up easily," a cynical voice said. "I just wish you didn't make it so easy for my men. They love a challenge, and you apparently didn't give them much. How disappointing."

The pirates split into two rows, allowing their leader to walk through the clear aisle. "Such a shame. I thought the Interstellar Academy's finest would give a little more of a fight."

Now standing in front of the cadets was a pirate with a large tri-hat and a scarf covering his face with the exception of his eyes. He had the ambience of a leader, one that took nothing from no one and was also very coy. And as Jim stared into his eyes, he thought he saw something familiar.

"Now, which one of you children is the diviner?" None of the cadets spoke up. "You have no idea who I am, do I?" He averted his gaze towards Marina. "I bet you do, sweetheart. Care to take a guess?" Marina hissed at him. "Oh, feisty. Very well. I guess I'm going to have to introduce myself. I always see it unnecessary because I'm the most notorious pirate in the Etherium, but I guess word doesn't really get around much these days." The pirate cleared his throat. "I am the notorious Captain Leland, leader of this intergalactic crew, the best since Long John Silver."

Jim's eyes narrowed. "What do you know about Silver?"

Captain Leland's eyes averted to the courageous young man. "What do _I_ know about Silver? What do _you_ know of him? Is he a friend of yours?"

Jim looked away. "No…" he silently lied.

Of course Captain Leland knew that he was lying, but he didn't say anything. This boy seemed familiar to him. Too familiar… "Well, I know you're not the diviner. I'm guessing you're the leader of this little crusade." Robin looked up angrily. How was just going to assume a boy was the leader?

Marina nudged her. "Don't take it personally," she whispered. "It's best if he doesn't know who you are." Robin kept her objections to herself begrudgingly.

Slowly, Captain Leland walked in front of the cadets one by one, eyeing them meticulously. When he got to the girls, he took a little more time observing them. He took Marina's chin and turned her face on each side. He stared peculiarly hard into her eyes, heated, focused, almost allured by her sea green eyes. Eddie growled under his breath.

"No, you're not the diviner." Marina attempted to bite his hand but he quickly pulled his hand back. "You're too… touchy." Then he reached Robin.

As soon as he touched her, Jim ground his teeth together. He remembered the last time a pirate touched her. It was like the Raphael Jones incident all over again.

Leland stared into her eyes just as he did to Marina, except when he did this he could sense how much pain she was in before he grabbed her face. She had been like this for a while. And her eyes, they were glowing…

"Men, take her."

"No!" Jim jumped from his spot. Two pirates immediately restrained him.

"Put her to the 'special cabin' with the other one," Captain Leland instructed. "Send the rest of them to the brig, except for him." He pointed to Jim. "Take him to my private quarters."

Jim struggled against the pirates, but it was no use since both of them had more than two limbs to hold him back. He watched helplessly as his friends were dragged away. The pirate who took hold of Robin looked a bit like Lionel—same constant scowl and everything—but unlike Lionel, this Feralis Felinid had a hole in one ear and an earring in the other. He was strong enough to carry Robin away with one claw. And as he was being hauled away, Jim looked back at Robin. She never looked so terrified. He gave her a look that told her he'd find a way to save her.

The pirates shoved Jim along until he could no longer see Robin. They pushed him through a door, knocked him to the floor, and locked the door behind them. Jim struggled to his feet as best as he could with his fettered arms. On his feet he saw a silhouette of the fierce pirate captain himself. He had something shiny in his hand. "Finally," Captain Leland said.

Slowly, the captain made his way towards Jim. Once he came into the light, Jim saw that he was holding a knife. He backed away from the approaching pirate only to run back into the locked door. So this was the end for James Pleiades Hawkins; killed by the most treacherous pirate in the Etherium. He had a good run. If only he could see his friends and family one more time. Jim closed his eyes as he waited for his demise.

However, it never came. Jim suddenly felt the ropes around him loosen up and fall. Jim opened his eyes. He was free and he was alive! Well, he was still trapped in the captain's quarters and the alive part was probably only temporary, but for the moment he was okay. The young man stared at the pirate warily. "So, what's next?" Jim asked. "Are we going to fight?"

"I don't want to fight you." Jim froze. Captain Leland's voice was calmer and less menacing than it was a few minutes ago. And it was too familiar.

"Then what do you want with me and my friends?" he demanded.

"Not your friends," the captain said. "Just you."

He reached for the scarf covering his face and carefully peeled it away. Then he took off his hat. Jim's eyes widened. The pirate he just saw not a moment ago was human. He had long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and blue eyes just like Jim, but his face showed years of struggle but not much age. And a goatee. His blue eyes looked at the young man with a bit of mischief and… compassion? Jim almost didn't believe it.

Suddenly, the captain smirked with the same compassion that barely glinted in his eyes. "It's been a long time, Jim."

"… Dad?"

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's been a while. Sorry.<strong>

**A/N: For those who read my "Legion" story, I'd really appreciate it if you filled out the poll on my profile page. Thanks!**

_**R&R!**_


	17. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 7

**Tale 2: **_**A Blast from the Past  
><strong>_**Chapter 7**

Jim couldn't believe it. Ever since his father left him and his mom, he had always wondered where he went off to. Now, seeing this man after so many years, this new discovery was just… he couldn't even describe how shocked he was.

"Dad? You're a…"

"Pirate?" Leland slowly walked over to his son. "I'm guessing you're surprised."

"Stay away from me." Leland stopped dead in place. "After all these years, I'm just finding out that my dad walked out on me and my mom so he could be a pirate, and yet you have the gall to just walk up to me like nothing happened, like you hadn't abandoned us?" Jim laughed snidely. "Unbelievable, yet so expected."

"It wasn't like that!" Leland cried. "Not at first."

"Are you sure? Because that's exactly what it seems like."

"Well believe it or not I didn't expect things to turn out this way. You don't think I'm not ashamed of what I've done, the things I did to get where I am, the lives that were lost in the process?" Jim looked away, ashamed of his father's sins. "Jim, we needed the money. I told your mother what I was doing and—"

"You told Mom?" Now Jim was insulted. His mother knew about this all along. He wondered what else she was hiding from him.

"You were just a boy then. You were too young to understand." Jim shook his head. He never felt so betrayed in his life. "Your mother wasn't happy about my leaving either, Jim. She even told me if I left I couldn't come back. And we both agreed that you couldn't know about this until you could handle it. You have no idea how much I wanted to return to you and your mother. But I made so much money…" Something lit in his father's eyes. Jim couldn't tell if it was from pleasure or insanity. "And the more we made, I couldn't help myself. The power went to my head. And once I had the knowledge, the power, I was able to attain my own crew. I knew then I would never be the same Leland Hawkins. Why else do you think I never came back? I did it all for you."

"That's funny," Jim replied bitterly, "because while Mom and I were working to the bone day-to-day living on ends meet I don't remember receiving a single dime from you!" At this point, tears of frustration started streaming from his eyes. He hated crying in front of people, especially this man, but he didn't care at the moment. "How could you do that to us? How could you just leave?"

"I told you I couldn't return after all I'd done. Besides, you seem to have been doing fine on your own. I heard about your voyage to Treasure Planet, I saw how the Benbow looked, I even heard about you rescuing the daughter of the headmaster of the Interstellar Academy. Your life seemed so much better without me in it. I didn't intend for this—for you to come here. What are you even doing out here, anyway?"

"I got kicked out of the Academy. I guess someone tipped the headmaster off and told him I was related to you."

"Jim, I—"

"Don't even bother apologizing. You're a little too late."

Leland sighed. He slid his finger along the smooth surface of the feather on his hat. "I know nothing I say will change anything I've done, and I'm sorry, but nothing you say is going to stop me, either. I won't harm you or your friends. We'll give you a longboat and you'll be on your way."

"What about Robin? Will you release her?"

Leland frowned. "You know I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Jim." Jim nearly flinched. His father's voice held the same menacing tone it had once before, and it already scared him. "We need her to get to Divinia. I can't let her go even if she is your friend. Not after all my men have gone through looking for her."

"Then do it for me."

"I _can't_. My crew doesn't even know I have a son. Releasing the Treasure of Divinia out of mercy would show weakness."

"It's too late for that," Jim muttered.

"As the captain of this vessel," Leland angrily continued, "I cannot allow myself to show weakness. That leads to mutiny, and I will not allow that to happen on my ship. Now you can either accept my offer, or I can lock you up in the brig with your other friends."

Jim frowned. He couldn't allow his father and these pirates to keep Robin, and there was no way he could free his friends on his own. He had no options. Jim glared at his father, giving him his answer.

Leland frowned. "Very well. I didn't want it to be this way, but you've given me no choice. Reginald!" The Feralis Felinid came in accordingly. "Take the finder of the Treasure Planet to the brig with the others." Reginald nodded and obediently did as he was told.

Before he was dragged away, Jim looked back at his father and gave him a disappointed glare. When the door closed, Leland sank into his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was never supposed to happen. Jim wasn't supposed to be on this ship, he wasn't supposed to be friends with their target, and above all, Leland wasn't supposed to feel so ashamed. And yet, after seeing that haunting look on his son's face, he never felt so thwarted. "I'm sorry, Jim, but you gave me no choice..."

* * *

><p>Robin didn't know what to expect after she was dragged away. Knowing the pirates, this "special cabin" was probably some kind of torture chamber. But after they roughly shoved her inside and locked the cabin, she couldn't believe her eyes. The room was beautiful. It had a twin-sized bed next to a drawer with a mirror, and in the corner a wardrobe stood.<p>

Robin went up towards it when she realized her hands were still tied. KiKi jumped out of her bodice and began gnawing at the rope. When she was free, Robin gently rubbed her chaffed wrists before opening the door. A plethora of magnificent ensembles burst out like a deluge of rainbows. "This must be some kind of dream," Robin said. "This is absolutely…"

"Beautiful?" Robin gasped lightly and spun around to find she wasn't alone. A wan man sat in the corner of the room. His face was hidden under dirty blonde bangs. His hands were still fettered by that itchy rope, but he didn't seem to make any attempt of escaping. "Don't get too comfortable. Despite how the captain may treat us, we're still prisoners. In the end, we're never going to get out of here."

Although she didn't know this man Robin knew he was right. This Captain Leland was obviously up to something. There had to be a reason why he stuck her with this strange man in this wonderfully crafted cabin.

"Excuse me, sir," she said timidly. "Who exactly are you? Why did the pirates put you in here?" The man made no attempt to look at her and rested his head on his knees. He seemed to be in pain. "Are you alright?" Robin quickly knelt next to him and tenderly took his hands. He felt tense under her grip. "It's okay. I'm just going to take these off so they won't bother you anymore." As soon as Robin touched him he flinched back. "I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

The man backed away from her. "You… You're…"

Robin sighed. "A diviner, I know."

"That's not it..." The man suddenly stood. He had a strong built contradictory to his sullen state. His eyes were dark brown, but they also had a glow in them that looked peculiar. "I'm also a diviner."

"Really?" Maybe that was why she thought he was familiar.

"Yes, and I thought I was the only one." He suddenly looked fearful again. "I'm sorry. It's my fault you're here."

"What do you mean?"

He didn't answer. As soon as he saw her face, he stepped forward and reached out his hand. "Your face…" He caressed her cheek in a gentle yet soothing manner. "You look just like her…"

"Like who?"

"… My wife. We had an infant daughter who looked just like her. But… I thought you both were dead…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Robin backed away from the strange man cautiously. "What are you talking about? Why are you talking as if you know me?"

"Because I think I do."

"B-But how is that even possible? The only way you would know me was if you were…" It suddenly became hard to breathe. Robin sat on the bed as she tried not to faint. She pressed one hand on her head while the other went to her stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"I want you to do something for me." He knelt in front of her. "Look into my eyes."

Before Robin could protest, the man took her face into his hands. His grasp was soft and tender, like a parent. Immediately, her eyes met his, and she was suddenly drawn into another world.

_She saw a light. Above her, she saw movement. Two shadows appeared. The shadows disappeared and were replaced with people. Their faces were obscure but they weren't strangers; the moment she saw them, she smiled with glee. One of the beings picked her up, and she started to giggle. Now that she was closer, she could distinguish the person's face; it was a man. He had a friendly smile and loving dark brown eyes. He brought her closer to his face until their noses were touching._

_Suddenly, she felt tired. Before she drifted off to sleep, she heard the softest whisper in her ear, "I love you, my little Robin."_

Robin pulled his hands away and quickly stood from the bed. That was a memory—one of her memories—and it was connected to this man. It was the first vision she had that linked to the past. She wouldn't have been able to do that if it wasn't for him, whoever he was. He brought her into the memory, but how? It seemed familiar, yet she still didn't get the connection. It didn't click until she remembered the man's brown eyes and the last words he spoke to her.

"_I love you, my little Robin."_

"… You're my father."

He nodded sadly.

Robin wanted to cry—whether from joy or despair, that was still to be determined. She had just found her father, her father by blood. She should've been happy, but they were stuck on this pirate ship. Their reunion would be short-lived.

"I'm sure you have questions," he said. "I'd be surprised if you didn't."

"Well, this certainly explains a lot about me," she said. "Why I'm so different from the rest of my family, my name—I mean the name I gave myself. I started calling myself Robin when I was little, but I always thought it was only because…" She sighed. She felt so stupid. "What happened to me? And what happened to you and… my mother?"

He took a seat next to Robin. "I'll start from the beginning… I was unfortunately named after the man who started it all, Gabriel Robinson, so that attracted a lot of unwanted attention for my family. I later found out it was planned. According to the curse, only one child inherits the power of a diviner, so when the time came, my parents abandoned me. I was left to fend for myself. I was soon found by a pirate, who took me on his crew as the cabin boy. When they found out about my abilities, they decided to use that to their advantage and history had repeated itself." Robin couldn't help feeling sorry for her father.

"Years later, I met your mother. She was the only prisoner we could attain after our raid on Regalia. Since I was the only human, they put me in charge of her so she would cooperate. The moment we saw each other, well, there was a spark. I immediately fell in love with her."

"Was it love at first sight?" Robin asked curiously.

"Oh, definitely not. Since I was a part of the crew, your mother detested me. I did everything I could to make her feel more comfortable so she could trust me, but she was so stubborn. One night, some pirates decided to have a little fun with her, since she was the only female aboard..." Robin noticed Gabriel's jaw clench. "I couldn't witness her get hurt like that, so I stupidly stood up to those pirates, even though they were twice my size. They beat me up and left me in the brig to rot. Your mother, that sweet angel, thanked me for attempting to defend her and took care of me. After that, she finally accepted me as her friend.

"Weeks passed, and we started getting closer until finally, her feelings requited. When we finally reached that mutual point of trust, I told her about my gift. We both knew what would happen if the others found out about Divinia, so we formed an escape plan and fled to the nearest planet so we could start our new life together. We eloped, and a few months later you were born. Your mother named you after the birds from her home planet. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

"But then they found us. The only way they could've done so was with my compass, which I foolishly left behind." Robin subconsciously put her hand to her chest, where the said locket was lying. "I sent you and your mother away so I could deal with them. They came like a swarm, and I barely escaped with my life. I can't remember how I survived, but I do remember the last traces of our simple life burning away before my eyes. Some gypsies found me and tended to me, and I immediately left in search of you both when I fully recovered. I found the longboat you escaped on, but the only trace of you or your mother was the blood…" Gabe began to quiver in anguish and he covered his face so she couldn't see his tears. "I assumed the worst."

Robin didn't know how to comfort him, so she just put her hand on his back. When he calmed down, he continued his sorrowful tale. "There was nothing for me there, so left and ended up on the clear-cut Montressor spaceport. There were many offers for unemployed, so I changed my name and took a modest job as a bartender and later became the owner. It was the only thing that distracted me from my loss, and no one would be able to find me on such an unpretentious planet. Unfortunately, some poor miscreant found my whereabouts and asked me about Divinia. Then we both got kidnapped by the most notorious pirate on this side of the galaxy."

"Wow… I can't imagine going through all that and still being as strong as you are now."

Gabriel scoffed. "I'm not strong. I wasn't strong enough to protect my family. The day I lost you and your mother, I lost a part of myself. After that, I didn't get attached to anything but my job. Monica, your mother, must think I'm pathetic for giving up on finding you."

"No," Robin said firmly. "I think she would've wanted what was best for both of us."

Gabriel chuckled. "You sound just like her." Robin smiled, a thing she had in common with her late mother. There was much of her that reminded him of Monica. The only difference was her blonde hair, which she acceded from him. Seeing her smile, he decided to stream the conversation away from his pathetic life. "You must've had a wonderful life before this. Who found you?"

"I was raised by Headmaster Smyth of the Interstellar Academy and his wife. It's been easy, _too_ easy in fact. I've been pampered for most of my life, and it was everything but fun. I just wanted a little excitement, but now I guess I should be more careful with what I wish for." Gabriel chuckled lightly. "This hasn't been the first time I've had to deal with pirates. Three months ago, I was kidnapped by the crew of Captain Joseph Smollet."

"That whiskered-face scoundrel? Well, that's one of the perks of being a diviner; you attract many unsavory characters. I heard he was locked up three months ago thanks to this Interstellar cadet… Joe Hopkins?"

"Jim Hawkins. He saved my life." Gabe smirked, recognizing the expression on his daughter's face. When Robin noticed his stare, she frowned. "What?"

"Do you love this Jim?"

"What?"

"You have the same look in your eyes as your mother when she fell in love with me. And I have to make sure this guy is right for my daughter, don't I?" Robin rolled her eyes. Gabriel laughed; even he couldn't take himself seriously. "Well, do you?"

It was her turn to change the subject. "Here." She handed him the compass. "On my last voyage, I found it. I guess Captain Joseph used it to find me."

Gabriel looked upon the compass sanctimoniously. "No… No I can't keep this. They can't find this on either of us." He looked about to see if there was any way to dispose of it. He swore. The cabin was completely sealed off. "Well, they can't find it on you, at least." He hid the compass in his pocket. When he heard door creak, he quickly took Robin to the other side of the room. "Robin, I want you to listen to me. I will do everything I can to protect you. Just do as I say so you can escape."

Robin frowned. "I'm not leaving without you."

"Robin, we have no time—"

Suddenly, the Feralis Felinid from earlier who looked a lot like Lionel came in. His eyes narrowed at the two diviners at the back of the cabin. He reached for Robin, but Gabriel quickly blocked his way. "No! You stay away from her!"

This didn't deter the cat. He simply shoved him aside, but since he was so big, his simple shove was more like a harsh blow to the side. "Dad!" She ran to her father, who lay unconscious on the floor. "What'd you do to him?"

"Now don't fret, dear. Your father will be put into good hands." Captain Leland entered from behind the giant panther man. "If you cooperate, then maybe we'll consider letting your friends go." Robin clenched her fists. "Now calm down. We haven't done anything to them as of yet. But we will, if you decide to be difficult. Reginald," he said, eyeing Gabe's limp form, "take him away."

Robin stood in front of her father protectively. However, Reginald simply put her aside and grabbed the comatose man. "Hey! Let him go!" Captain Leland grabbed her as the panther man took her father away. "Where is he taking him?"

"Don't you worry. You'll see him again. Let's chat. shall we?" Leland closed the door so they could have privacy. Robin wasn't too comfortable being alone with this man. His gaze made her uncomfortable. "You didn't like the dresses I made for you?"

"Made, or stolen?"

"_May_ have stolen." He went over to the wardrobe and pulled out a red one. "How about this pretty little number? I'm sure red would look lovely on you."

"What do you want with us?"

Leland put threw the dress on the bed as he went through the wardrobe looking for another one. "Isn't it obvious? My men and I have been searching for people like you and your father so we could find Divinia, a planet golden to the core—literally." He tossed a yellow one on the bed. "That color seems to suit the occasion, doesn't it?"

Robin glared at him. "What'd you do with Jim and my friends?"

Leland froze all of a sudden. "I was going to let your friends go, but _that boy_," he said bitterly, "insisted on staying here with you. He's in the brig with the others."

"What are you going to do with them?"

"So full of questions." The captain finally pulled away from the wardrobe and walked towards her. "All you need to know is that we won't harm you. We just want your cooperation."

"What will you do with us afterwards?"

The pirate gave her a devious smile that actually made her shiver. "How about you put one of those dresses on and we'll talk about it later." He left the room without another word.

Once the pirate left, Robin slumped to the floor and hugged her knees. She never felt so frightened since she was taken as prisoner on Captain Joseph's crew. Now all she wanted was to be swaddled in the safe embrace of her father—real or surrogate. And she only felt worse as the memory of her infanthood came back. "Daddy…"

KiKi climbed out of her bodice, downtrodden by her human companion's despair. She licked her tears away. Robin gave her a little smile. "Thanks, KiKi. I don't think we're going to be able to get out of this one."

* * *

><p>"Richard, can you find any way to get out?"<p>

The Felinid budged against the wall of their prison. "It's no use," he informed his comrades. "The only way out is up. Even if I could climb up there, I wouldn't be able to unlock the door without the key. The wood's too deep."

"We can't just sit around," Eddie said.

"Okay, what's your plan, Mister Optimistic?"

"… I was just going to suggest using Morph as a key."

"Morph's with Jim," Marina reminded him.

"Well, it won't be long until Jim joins us, too. What do you think those brutes wanted with him, anyway? Don't they just need Robin so they can find, you know…?"

"Your friends are as good as dead, lads." The cadets jumped at the foreboding voice. They had company.

"You don't know that," Marina said. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm just a weary soul who's simply lost his way, lass."

Marina looked through the barred window that separated their cells. "I recognize you… You're Long John Silver!"

"Silver?!" Richard and Eddie repeated incredulously.

"Aye, dat be me."

"What are you doing in the brig?" Marina inquired. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you'd be the leader of this brigade."

"Not all pirates are close chums, ya know."

She frowned. "We need to get out," she said to the boys. "With Silver here, there's no telling what they'd want with us."

"I told you," Richard said, "there's no way…"

Suddenly, a pink blob squeezed its way into the cell. It started babbling about something, but the others couldn't understand. To placate the jittery morph, Marina took him and began petting his head soothingly. "Morph, slow down," she said. "What happened? What'd they do with Jim and Robin?"

"Is dat me Morph?"

Morph, recognizing the voice, flew over to the other cell. He squealed in delight when he saw his old friend and immediately went to his pathetic form. "Morphy! I've missed you, you jigglin' blob o' mischief!"

The cadets looked at each other. "You don't think…" Richard said.

"There's no way," Eddie denied. "I mean, what are the chances Jim would be friends with a pirate like Long John Silver?"

"There was a report about pirates raiding the voyage to Treasure Planet," Marina discerned, "and the way Jim reacted when Captain Leland mentioned Silver earlier was a bit peculiar. As much as I don't want to believe it, maybe Headmaster Smyth was right."

Suddenly, the top of the brig was opened up. The panther man from before threw someone down before closing the top again. "Jim!"

"Ow…" Jim got up slowly as he rubbed his back. "Is everybody okay?"

"Don't worry. They didn't do anything to us," Marina said. "But what happened up there? What'd they do to you and Robin?"

"The captain…" Jim hesitated. Everybody could tell he was hiding something. "The captain just asked me a few questions, thinking I was the leader. He wouldn't tell me what they did with Robin, though."

"Jimbo?" Jim froze. He recognized that voice. "Is that you?"

"Guys, who's in the cell next to us?" he asked slowly.

"Jimbo. It's me, lad." The voice almost sounded sad.

Jim quickly brushed past his friends to see the prisoner in the other cell. He saw a downtrodden, pathetic cyborg sitting against the wall. Morph was happily flying around him. When he saw Jim, the blob immediately went back into the cell to nuzzle Jim's face. Morph then transformed into a mini version of his long lost friend. "S-Silver?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>_


	18. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 8

**Tale 2: **_**A Blast from the Past**_**  
><strong>**Chapter 8**

This was probably the most overwhelming day of Jim's life. First, he found out that his father left him and his mother all these years to become a pirate, now leading his own infamous brigade of miscreants; now he was reunited with the only person who he considered a father, and he was a prisoner on his real father's ship. "S-Silver? Is it really you?"

The sad cyborg nodded. "Aye, lad. 'Tis yer ol' friend Silver. I'm a pathetic sight, ain't I?"

"Why are you here?"

"Jim, he's a pirate," Marina reminded him. "He's obviously after the same thing as these brutes."

"But why is he _here_ in the _brig_? Silver, how'd you get yourself into this mess?"

The old pirate chuckled. "I was caught stickin' me nose into some nasty business, lad. Yer little friend is right; I am tryin' ta find Divinia, and I needed da treasure."

Jim backed away from the window. He should've known; Silver was still a pirate, so he was hungry for gold. But he wondered if Silver knew Robin was the Treasure of Divinia.

Glancing briefly over at his friends, he saw the suspicion etched on their faces during their little conversation. His secret was probably out, but he didn't care at the moment. He needed to find a way to get his friends, including Silver, out of the brig, but he didn't know how.

Jim began pacing the cell from one wall to the other pensively. His friends exchanged confused glances as they watched him curiously. "Have you guys thought of any way to escape?" he abruptly asked.

"Yeah, we tried everything," Eddie said. "But the only way out is with the key."

Jim nodded. "Morph."

The little blob had already transformed into a key and flew up to the door that was blocking their way to freedom. However, before he could stick himself into the keyhole, the door opened. He quickly flew down and hid behind him when he saw the panther man from before. Two more pirates were throwing ropes down. "Get out!"

The cadets began climbing the rope one at a time. Jim was the last behind Marina. "Wait, what about Silver?"

"He'll be fine, Jim," she said before whispering curtly, "Don't worry yourself over him. He's a pirate; he can take care of himself. Right now, all we need to worry about is Robin and how we're going to escape." Jim could detect a hint of malice in her voice. Marina obviously didn't like let alone trust pirates and he didn't blame her, but he knew he could trust Silver. Instead of rebutting, he complied and began climbing after Marina.

As soon as he was out of the brig, the two other pirates grabbed his arms. One of them was holding a gun while the other held a sword. They began dragging him to his friends, where they were currently being strapped to a mast. They didn't tie him to the mast for some reason, but Jim didn't complain. As long as he could see his friends, he was fine.

A minute later, the captain showed up. Robin was being pulled along behind him. She was wearing an extravagant yellow gown that fit her perfectly. Jim tried not to think of any reason why his father made her put on that dress.

"I'm glad you're all here," Captain Leland said. "You're about to witness history in the making." He pulled Robin so closer to him. Jim growled. His dad was a sick-o!

Much to Jim's satisfaction, Robin stomped on his foot, making the captain cry out in pain. He grabbed her jaw fiercely. "Remember our deal," he said. "Cooperate _or else_." Robin pulled her face away and stood beside him obediently. "Now, be a good little girl and find Divinia." Leland pushed her forward.

They all watched as Robin's emerald eyes glowed iridescently. Leland smirked. "We're getting closer. Full speed ahead!"

Jim watched helplessly as Robin unconsciously led the pirate crew to their destination. As they got closer, Robin's eyes seemed to glower brighter, and it seemed to be hurting her. Her fettered hands went to her head as the ship got closer and closer to Divinia.

Finally, a figure appeared in the distance. A planet. It was dull blue, gray, and green. This wasn't the golden planet Jim had expected, but since its inhabitants had been eliminated all those years ago, it probably looked pathetic from age. "_Land ho!_ This is it, men! Divinia!"

The crew cheered, knowing that soon they were about to get a hold of their booty.

* * *

><p>Tim began laughing uncontrollably.<p>

"Y-You said… _booty!_"

Uncle Dick glared at Uncle Gil. "Did you have to say it like that?"

Uncle Gil cracked a smile. "Yes."

Uncle Dick rolled his eyes. "Just finish the story while we're still young."

"Fine. Anyway…"

* * *

><p>Jim had to think fast. They were already in the planet's atmosphere, several hundred feet above the water. He couldn't think of any possible way to get off this ship safely, so he'd have to go another way about this.<p>

"Alright, men. Let's get ready to—"

Without a second thought, Jim jumped and stomped on the feet of the men holding him captive. They immediately released him to hold their aching feet, but then Jim swiftly kicked their legs under. He grabbed both of their weapons, quickly hiding the plasma gun in his holster. When the rest of the crew started shooting at him, he deflected their shots with the sword. He went over to his friends.

"No!" Marina shouted. "Save Robin! Get out of here!" She gave him a hard look. He nodded in understanding. Robin was the most valuable asset to these pirates. Getting her away from them was their first priority.

He came upon the stairs where his father firmly stood at the top. He pulled Robin to him and pulled a gun to her head. Jim didn't stop to think about his next move; he knew his father wouldn't risk hindering his mission. He shot the gun right out of his father's hand before running up the stairs and kicking him in the gut. He quickly cut the ropes off of Robin's hands and pulled her away from his father. He ran over to the edge of the ship when he realized they were cornered.

Robin seemed to realize this, too. Her grip on Jim's hand grew taut. "What do we do now?"

Jim looked back at his father hesitantly. He was still on the ground, but he was already reaching for the gun. "Jump!"

"What! Are you crazy!? We're a hundred feet in the air!"

"We have no choice!" Jim jumped onto the ridge and pulled Robin up. "It's now or never."

Robin looked back to where their friends were still tied up. She didn't want to leave them, but the pirates were already making their way up to the quarter deck. Captain Leland had just reached his gun.

Putting her arms around Jim, Robin shut her eyes and whimpered. She had never been afraid of heights until now. If they didn't make it, at least in her final moments she'd be in Jim's arms. With his arms around her securely, they jumped. And as they fell down towards the sea awaiting them, Robin hoped that their friends would be alright.

* * *

><p>When Jim and Robin jumped, the pirates were sure they didn't make it. The other cadets knew better, though. Jim always had something up his sleeve, and he'd be able to protect Robin, wherever they were at the moment.<p>

By the look on Captain Leland's face, the chase wasn't over yet. While the rest of the crew was in a tizzy from everything that had just happened, the relentless captain, followed by his first mate, went inside. Marina frowned. He had another plan, she realized.

"We have to find a way out of here," she said to herself.

"Um, in case you haven't notice, Marina," Eddie said, "we're still tied to the mast. If you had just let Jim cut us loose like he was about to, we _all_ could be skydiving right about now!"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that now, can we?" Marina thought for a moment. With Richard's claws, he could try cutting the ropes loose. And with the pirates still scrambling about, they could easily sneak by, get to the undercarriage, and take a longboat down to land.

But before she could instill this plan, Captain Leland came back outside with a devious yet irritated smirk on his face. He quickly commanded his crew to calm down so he could speak. "No need to fret, men," he said. "After that little stunt that little _rat_ pulled, it seems our plan has been set back a bit. But it's alright. We can still go with 'Plan B'. Bring out the cyborg!"

The men went over to the brig and began to open up the top to pull out the large cyborg. They dragged him over to their captain, who looked at him in contempt. "It seems today is your lucky day, Silver," he said snidely. "If you want to live a little longer, then you will show me and my crew to the Treasure of Eternity."

Silver's robotic eye glowed angrily. "There is no way of showing you without the treasure of Divinia, ya twit!"

"Oh, but that cannot honestly be true," the captain said surely. Marina narrowed her eyes. He knew something. The only way to find that treasure was with a diviner, but there was no way they could find another one around here. "There must be some other way," Leland continued. "Why else would you go to that pub to find…?" A sudden realization dawned on the captain, and he smiled in a way that even sent jitters down Marina's spine. "Reginald!"

The panther man came out on cue. With one hand, he had a man by his blonde hair. He pushed him out in front of the crowd. Leland kicked the man. "Get up!" The man grunted painfully as he tried to get to his knees. Marina saw how difficult it was since the captain kicked him so hard, but then she noticed that his hands were also bound. "You must know a way to the treasure, Gabe. How do we get to it?"

The man named Gabe said something inaudible. Apparently the captain could hear it well because his face was suddenly red with rage. He pulled Gabe onto his feet. "Tell me the right answer or you'll never see your precious daughter again!"

_Daughter?_ Marina thought.

Gabe glared at him. "She's already dead."

Leland cackled. "Those two may just be children, but you know just as well as I that such vibrant youths _can_ survive that drop. And it won't be long until we do catch up to them…"

Marina studied Gabe's stoic mask. He was pondering over something that could either risk Jim and Robin's life or save them. She recognized the look on his face; Robin often made that face whenever they were in a pickle. She realized then this man was indeed Robin's father—her _real_ father—which meant he was also a diviner.

"I have a compass," the diviner finally said.

"I have thousands of compasses, Robinson. What use will that be to me?"

"It will help find the cove. But only I can use it."

Leland grunted irately. "Fine. Whatever needs doing." He pushed Gabe back on the deck. "Let's go men! We are not letting the Treasure of Divinia out of our grasp again!" He looked back at the cadets, more specifically at Marina, and smiled. "We're taking them, too. Scroop." An arachnoid pirate came out from behind the crowd. His giant pinchers looked like they were hungry for something to dice up. He looked at the cadets ravenously. "These three will be in your charge."

Mr. Scroop smirked voraciously. "It will be my pleassssure."

* * *

><p>The swim to shore took longer than expected for Jim and Robin.<p>

When they hit the water, they were met by the unexpected tingling of cold seawater. They swam as fast as they could to shore, but it was difficult because the water was frigid and their limbs were stiff from the harsh splash. And Robin's dress was no help. They stopped swimming for a moment so she could remove every little article of clothing that was weighing her down and made her uncomfortable. By the time they reached the shore, his face was red from both exhaustion and embarrassment.

Jim collapsed as soon as they were on the white beach to catch his breath. He looked over at Robin, who was wringing the seawater out her hair. She still had KiKi, who was shaking the water out of her fur. Morph was still on the ship with the others, he realized, and he was glad because the blob probably wouldn't have survived the fall. As he was still staring at Robin, he finally noticed the change in her appearance. She was now wearing a white shift, which clung to her skin due to the excess water. Even though she was still wet and the dress was a bit skimpy, she looked like an angel.

"So," she said. "What's the plan now?"

Jim looked back at the ship. He could still make it out, and as far as he could see, no one was following them. But it was better to be safe than sorry. "Let's keep going."

As soon as he had his strength back, he grabbed Robin hand and ran. The farther away from the ship, the better.

When they entered the jungle, they were already running into messes. Even with the gown off, Robin was still having trouble running, and her shift was getting torn and caught on branches. She stopped again to tear off a good layer above her knees as well as her sleeves just in case they also got in the way. But even without those accoutrements, she was still having a hard time.

"Jim, stop!" she finally cried. She stopped and went to sit down.

"What are you doing?"

"I've had enough. My feet hurt, I'm cold, and we have no idea where we're going. I'm taking a break."

Jim sighed and sat on the ground impatiently. He was just noticing that Robin had been barefoot throughout this endeavor. Even with his boots on, his feet were also starting to ache. Now that he thought about it, if the pirates were after them, they wouldn't be able to catch up too quickly; they were just as lost without Robin. But they needed to keep going. However, Robin didn't seem in the mood to go anywhere, and he didn't blame her. This had to be one hell of a day for her.

After a brief moment of thought, Jim got up from the ground and held out his arms. "I'll carry you."

Robin gave him an incredulous look. "I don't think so."

"We're not arguing about this, Robin. You obviously can't walk at the moment, and we have to keep going." She looked away stubbornly. "We can either do this the easy way, or I can just pick you up, drop you whenever you struggle, and pick you right back up again. Your choice."

Robin stared at him for a long second before reluctantly holding out her arms. Jim picked her up gently and began walking forward. It got awkward as they continued on. Robin hadn't bothered to say a single word to Jim, which made him miserable on the inside. How could Robin still be mad at him? He just saved her life for Pete's sake! And now he was carrying her even though his own legs were aching. She was acting like such a… brat, a pompous heiress, a spoiled princess—there were so many other names for it. And he felt terrible for thinking of her that way, but for some reason those terrible thoughts brought him some relief.

"Jim, you can put me down now."

Before he could ask why, he saw the answer. His thoughts had distracted him so much he didn't even realize he just walked into an abandoned village. It looked like Port Royale, except less glamorous and more ominous. The buildings were in shambles, and the houses that weren't completely demolished had busted windows and doors. Most of the debris was charred. It wasn't like anything Jim had ever seen before.

He didn't dare put Robin down. With her bare feet, she was bound to get injured wherever she stepped. Robin didn't seem to have any objection to this as he slowly walked through the rubble.

"How awful…" she mumbled as they passed building after building. Jim frowned when he saw Robin's expression. She was truly sad—she looked like she was on the verge to tears. This was where her ancestors lived. Everything she could've learned about them had been destroyed, demolished—it was all gone, thanks to that rapscallion, Captain Nathaniel Flint.

The damage appeared less atrocious as they ventured deeper into the village. The houses were still scorched, but they were more put-together than the ones they saw upon entry.

"Jim, stop."

Robin suddenly jumped out of his arms and went to touch the doorframe of the house he stopped in front of. The door was just hanging on its hinge, and it was scorched black. "What is it?"

"I just got this feeling when we came to this house." Her hand ran up the door gingerly so it wouldn't crumble. She looked at the ash on her fingertips. Jim watched her carefully. The look on her face—it was like she recognized this place, yet something was blocking her from knowing how. "…Let's look around. Maybe there's a clue."

"To what?"

"To where the treasure might be. If we find it first, we could prevent the pirates from reaching it, seal off the entrance or something. I'll look in here." Robin quickly went inside before Jim could object. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him. It must've had something to do with Gabriel. He chose to go along with her plan, anyway. It was a good plan; it was definitely better than running around in circles like he had planned. If they could find a way to get to the treasure first, the pirates would be at a huge disadvantage.

Jim went to the house just across from the shack Robin had entered. Like many of the other houses, its walls were scorched and crumbly, and the door was off its hinges. Jim moved it a bit so he could get inside, and the door fell as soon as he touched it. Light poured out of the broken windows, allowing him to see the inside of the less than cozy home. Just as he thought, there was no remainder of anything that could tell him what kind of people the diviners were. The inside was small, perfect for a family of three or four, but that was all he could discern. The walls were covered in ash. There were broken pots and pieces of what might've been furniture. At the corner of the room, he spotted a dusty toy. A doll. He frowned, thinking of the poor child who lost it and suffered through this travesty. Pirates were truly despicable tyrants.

When he went over to get the doll, he noticed the pile of rubble it was lying on was moving. No, it was _breathing_. "What the…"

Slowly, the pile began to grow until it was taller than Jim. Ashes fell until dirty green feathers were revealed, and the beast began to shake as much dirt out of its downy coat as it could. As soon as it laid its eyes on the young man, it made a noise that sounded like a screeching yawn. It was enough to make Jim run.

"Robin!"

"What?" She came out of her house when she heard Jim yell. "What happened?" The answer stumbled out of the house and squawked even louder. The young woman screamed. "What is that thing?!" But the young man was too terrified to answer.

Jim and Robin backed up against the house as the beast came closer. In the full light, they could see its full design. Its body was covered in shimmering viridian feathers, as well as on the back of its brawny, elongated legs. Its neck was also long, and a layer of cerulean down covered it up. It had a crown of longer, red feathers on its head, and it had a patch of mauve feathers where its wings would've been. Its large beak opened up to yowl one more time before its large, golden eyes stared at them curiously.

After a while, Jim started to feel less intimidated by this bird-like creature. It didn't look like it wanted to hurt them. Then he noticed the saddle on its back. He stepped away from the wall.

Robin grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?"

"I don't think this thing is going to hurt us." To test his theory, he walked slowly towards the bird-like beast. "That's right. You're not going to bite," Jim said softly. "You're a good boy, aren't you?" When he was close enough to touch it, he reached out his hand and waited. The thing went up to him and gladly nuzzled its beak against his hand. "I knew it. You're just a big softy." A little chirrup came out, as if the beast felt complimented, and it began to nip at Jim's hair, making the young man laugh.

When it was done with Jim, it went over to Robin. She petted it hesitantly. KiKi, who had been silent for the majority of this voyage, climbed onto her arm and hissed at the bird. Unfazed, the beast squawked back, making the Cloaking Ferret cower and hide back under Robin's hair. Then the beast nuzzled against Robin and began to purr. "I don't know what you are," Robin said, "but at least you're not a threat." It purred louder. "What do you suppose this thing is, Jim?"

"I think the diviners used to ride these things," he said. "This must be the only one left."

"You poor thing," Robin cooed.

"It still has a saddle. It must've had an owner not so long ago," Jim noted. "I think I'll name him… Bruno."

"_Bruno?_ You mean you actually want to keep him?"

"Robin, he's a living relic of your people. We can't just leave him. Besides, I think he's taken a liking to you."

"You mean he's taken a liking to _you_."

Jim smiled shyly. He had always liked animals, and he grew fast bonds them. "Bruno" was no different.

Robin looked back at the creature—Bruno—and sighed. "Well… he is sweet…"

Suddenly, the sky crackled with thunder. The beast made a hasty retreat. It stopped a couple yards away before looking back at Jim and Robin. "I think he wants us to follow him," Jim said.

"Whereto?"

The sky erupted once again, making them both jump. "Hopefully to some shelter," Jim said.

Slowly and cautiously, they began to follow the newly named Bruno and soon found themselves in a cave. The walls were moist, but the floor was smooth and actually comfortable. As soon as they were inside, it began to rain.

Jim and Robin sat on opposite sides of the cave. Just as Robin had predicted, Bruno had taken a liking to Jim, and now the bird-like creature was lying behind the young man sound asleep. His feathers ruffled up and down as he breathed. It was actually pretty cozy for Jim.

For some reason, Robin wanted to sit on the other side of the cave, despite how cold she was. Jim didn't understand why Robin was still persistent on staying mad at him. He didn't know what else he could possibly do to tell her that he was truly sorry for what he said. What did she want him to do? Beg on his hands and knees for forgiveness? No way. Jim wasn't going to stoop that low just to get his girlfriend back.

After a moment of silence, Robin got up from her spot and went to sit next to Jim. "I'm ready to talk about _us_ now."

Jim didn't move, but he did glance at her briefly. He saw sincerity and… was that regret? "Okay," he said slowly.

"Jim, after a long, long, _long_ time of thinking, I have to say… I've never hated you so much in my life."

A heavy paused filled the air. To Jim, it was the longest pause in history. She _hated_ him? He didn't know what to say—what to think! And the way she said it; it was just…

All of a sudden, Jim burst out laughing. She _hated_ him! She hated _him!_ Man, did that feel great to hear! When he saw the stupefied look on her face, he laughed harder. "Jim, I'm being serious!" she cried over his laughter.

"I know!—_I know!_ That's the thing!"

"What? Why are you laughing?"

Jim's boisterous chortling quickly subsided to little snickers. "It's just that," he started when he was a little calmer, "I'm so relieved."

"Why?"

"Because I hated you, too!" The laughter started up again.

"Y-You… You did?"

"Yes!" Jim stopped laughing and grabbed Robin's shoulders. "Robin, never in my lif

e have I ever met anyone more frustrating to be with—no, to _deal_ with—in a terrible situation than _you_. Throughout this whole endeavor, you've been nothing but a brat! You don't know how many times I felt tempted to actually drop you!" Jim took a deep breath before leaning against Bruno, who was still dead to the world even through Jim's rant, and sighing out in satisfaction. "Man, did that feel good to get off my chest."

Robin stared at him for a long time, and for a long time, Jim feared the worst of her reaction. She'd either tear him apart bit by bit or cry. He really hoped it _wasn't_ the latter. But then, she said quietly, "Was I really that terrible?"

Jim was a little skeptical in his next approach. "Well, yeah. First on the ship then out here, you were just a pain. I didn't want to feel that way, though. I guess there's a part of me that doesn't want to admit you're not perfect."

It was Robin's turn to laugh. "You know, I didn't think I'd be laughing after I told you how I felt," she admitted. "I thought the same about you. You made me so mad and everything you said hurt so much I wanted nothing more than to punch you in the throat! But, after telling you how I've felt, the anger just completely left my system."

Jim chuckled. "Glad to hear. I guess spending some time apart really was good for us. We're not the perfect couple, and we're going to fight every so often, but we're strong. We'll always get through any shortcomings we may have." He put an arm around her and kissed her temple. "I missed you."

Robin snuggled against him. "I missed you, too."

They sat like that for a while, until they heard something outside. The little crack was enough to wake Bruno. Jim petted his hide complacently before getting up. "Stay here," he told Robin. She nodded and wrapped her arms around Bruno's neck so he wouldn't follow Jim.

As he made his way out of the cave, Jim slowly reached for his gun. Slinking against the wall, he made sure whoever was out there didn't know he was on to them. He caught sight of a silhouette in the light of the reflection of the cave walls. When he was close enough, Jim came out from behind the wall and pointed his gun at the unsuspecting stranger.

"Ah!"

"Jim!"

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for super long update, but college is hard, people! And surprisingly, I have more writer's block! :( Until next time...<strong>

_**R&R!**_


	19. Tale 2: A Blast from the Past part 9

**A/N: First, I'd just like to apologize for taking a year to update. I'm suffering from severe writer's block, not to mention I've been so preoccupied with stories I haven't even published. I've even had a story I've been working on for five years, but I didn't want to publish it until I was completely satisfied with it. The worst part is I'm closer to finishing that story than I am this one. For those who stuck around, thank you so much and don't worry! I fully intend to continue this story to the end!**

**So without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Tale 2: <strong>_**A Blast from the Past  
><strong>_**Chapter 9**

"Uncle Gil. I thought girls had cooties. Why does Jim like 'em so much?"

"Um… that's a good question Tim, one that you should really ask your parents."

"But they won't tell me nothing."

He rolled his eyes. "Gee, I wonder why…" Uncle Gil looked over at Uncle Dick for help, but he just shrugged. Uncle Gil didn't want to leave the boy's question unanswered, especially since the little boy looked up to him. But if he were to tell the truth, Tim's mother would surely kill him. "Well… You see, Tim, as you get older, your feelings for girls will change, and the cooties they have will die off thanks to these wonderful things called 'hormones'."

"Really? So _ho-moans_ kill cooties?"

"Exactly! Ho-moans kill cooties!"

"I wan' some!"

"Let's get back to the story, shall we?" Uncle Dick quickly cut in.

* * *

><p>"AH!"<p>

"Jim!"

As soon as Jim pulled out his pistol, his first instinct was to shoot. But as soon as he saw the familiar pile of bolts, he put his gun down. "Ah, geez…"

"Jim!" Robin called again.

"It's okay, Robin! It's not a threat." Jim put away his gun with a sigh. "B.E.N., what are you doing here?"

B.E.N., who was covering his eyes, looked up and, before Jim could do anything, put the young man in a bone-crushing hug. "Jimmy! I'm so glad you're not a pirate! We were looking for you guys everywhere!"

"'We'?"

"Yes, we." Out of the darkness came another familiar, feline figure. "Good evening, Mr. Hawkins."

"Amelia?" Seeing her actually brought him much relief. No one was more experienced in such predicaments than the famous Captain Amelia Smollet. But seeing her here also made him wonder where the clumsy astrophysicist was. Even though Doppler wasn't usually fit for these kinds of expeditions, he was somewhat useful during the trip. But he didn't seem to be here.

"I believe it'd be better to have this little reunion somewhere drier." Jim noticed then that the captain was drenched from head to toe. He couldn't even imagine how uncomfortable it was for her since she was a feline and all.

After Jim pried B.E.N. off, they all headed inside. Robin went up to Jim looking very worried. "Jim, what happened?" she asked anxiously as she checked him for injuries. Then she noticed Amelia and B.E.N. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came because a certain Thomas Smyth informed me that his daughter, two of his cadets, and his number one emissary had gone missing." Robin looked away guiltily. "And then when I went to consult you, Mr. Hawkins, I was surprised to find that the Benbow was in shambles and you were also missing." It was Jim's turn to look away. "My husband would've come along, but your mother needed help cleaning up the inn, and someone needed to watch the kids. Now, I'm here for some answers."

"Amelia," said Jim. "It's a long story." Bruno made a guttural sound in the background. Amelia looked at the beast dubiously, B.E.N. more so in fear. Jim laughed nervously. "A really long story."

So Jim and Robin began taking turns telling Amelia everything that had happened since Jim's expulsion from the Interstellar Academy. All the while, Jim watched the former captain's reaction as Robin wrapped up the story. B.E.N. was trying to stay away from Bruno, who became very interested in the estranged mechanical man, so he wasn't paying too much attention to the story. When they were finished, the young adults waited patiently to see what Amelia had to say.

"I see…" she finally said. "I should've known it was Captain Leland. He's very infamous in this part of the galaxy. So the others are still being held captive on his ship."

"As far as we know," Jim said.

"And the cyborg?"

"… I don't know. He didn't look so good when we left." Robin couldn't help noticing how downtrodden Jim became.

"Is it true?" she asked. "Is this pirate… your friend?" Jim glimpsed into her eyes for a brief moment before nodding his head.

"There's a lot I haven't told you," he said. He looked at Amelia. "All of you, and I apologize. I was afraid of what you all would think if you found out Silver was my friend or that Captain Leland is actually… my father." Robin wasn't too surprised after what Jim's mother told him, but she tried to show a little shock. Amelia just narrowed her gaze. "I was surprised to find out when he told me, too. I didn't say anything because I didn't want anyone to know I was related to him. I didn't want anyone to think I was a traitor. But you guys know I would never work with these brutes, right?"

"Jim, I've never met anyone as noble or as loyal to his friends as you," said Amelia. "After all, you did not commit such acts of piracy. All you did was allow that corpulent swine to get away." A little grin tugged at the corner of Jim's mouth before it disappeared.

"I don't blame you for not telling anyone, Jim," Robin spoke up timidly. "Is Long John Silver a good man—for a pirate, I mean?"

"Well, he was a better man than my father, that's for sure." Robin smiled sympathetically. After finding her father, she wanted nothing more than to get him back. But Jim's father was a different story. It was a shame they couldn't have the same happy reunion.

"So, what now?" Amelia asked. "Do you and Isabel have a plan?"

Robin spoke up. "We were planning on finding the Treasure of Eternity before the pirates and destroying the entrance that led into the bounty." It wasn't an ideal plan. They had no idea where the treasure was or if it was obtainable, but it was the best Robin could come up with.

Jim nodded in agreement, though he had the same doubts.

Amelia shook her head. "Well, it's not ideal, but it's the best we've got. First things first, though. We need to find your friends and distract the pirates. B.E.N. and I will go. Jim, you and Isabel need to go as soon as the tempest clears. You may not know where the treasure it but it's only a matter of time before you find it." She nodded pointedly at Robin. Having a diviner was a huge advantage, especially since she was the Treasure of Divinia. It wouldn't be long until she had another vision. "Time is of the essence. The rain will be quite a nuisance for the pirates as well, so we must move as quickly as possible once it clears up."

The drizzle of the rain ceased, and everyone looked outside. Jim smirked. "Time to move." Amelia and B.E.N. left, but not before the robot gave Jim another breathless hug. As soon as they were gone, Jim and Robin jumped onto Bruno's saddle and rode off. They had a lot of ground to cover and not much time.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back on the ship, the crew of Captain Leland got ready to head out to the island. The rain had brought them back by a few hours, maybe even a few minutes, but Marina knew that it gave Jim and Robin enough time to find safe refuge, wherever they were.<p>

"So, have you thought of a plan to get us out of this yet, Marina?" Eddie asked eagerly. She glared at him before looking away pensively. That bug-like brute Mr. Scroop was still watching them like a hawk with his bulbous yellow eyes. There was nothing they could do without him watching their every move, at least not until they got off the ship.

The cadets were soon dragged onto one of the few longboats that were going down in search of the Treasure of Eternity. They were settled into a boat that held the old cyborg, Silver. Marina couldn't help noticing how pathetic he looked. His eyes—at least the real one—held what looked like sadness, despair, and… regret? No, it wasn't possible. Pirates didn't feel regret—they couldn't! Then again, if he didn't care about Jim, then he wouldn't have denied those pirates the information they needed in order to find him and Robin or even the treasure for that matter.

On the longboat next to them, the one centered in this little V-formation, Marina spotted Gabe, the diviner who also happened to be Robin's real father. He looked as dejected as Silver, and as the captain stood over him, he looked even smaller in comparison. There were seven more people on that boat. Counting all the pirates on the other boats, Marina estimated that there were at least thirty of them. That would make their escape difficult. But important first things first: they needed to get the diviner away from pirates.

"Well?" Ed pressed.

"Wait until we get on land," she finally replied. "The bug may have no ears, but he hears well." She looked up at Mr. Scroop, who seemed to be more focused on the cyborg rather than his younger wards. She doubted he had heard anything, but they had to stay cautious.

It took them no time to reach land. On the beach, there were traces of clothes that had been abandoned. They were articles from that dress Robin was wearing on the ship. Marina could only imagine what she was wearing now. Unfortunately for the pirates, that was all that was left of Jim and Robin. And other traces, like footprints, were washed out by the rain.

Leland was furious. He grabbed the diviner and pulled him up to his nose. The men glared at each other for a while before the captain dropped him. "Untie him." The pirates did as they were commanded and cut the rope from Gabe's wrists. He rubbed them and glared back up at the captain. "Get to work and use that compass of yours, diviner," Leland commanded. "If it will truly lead us to the Treasure of Divinia or even the Treasure of Eternity itself, then you'd better make haste. Your daughter's life depends on it."

Gabe scowled at him one more time before he went to work. Marina watched as his compass opened up, and he locked in the coordinates that would lead them to Robin, or the treasure.

Marina frowned. There was no way they could escape without the diviner now. There was too much at stake.

Richard abruptly elbowed her side. The Felinid hadn't said a word since they got on the longboat, so she was curious why he called for her attention. "Just wait," he whispered. She raised a brow. What was he up to?

All of a sudden, the compass was shot out of Gabe's hands before he could put in all the coordinates. Captain Leland and his crew became vigilant. Marina looked at Richard, who just sat in the boat patiently with a very stoic look on his face. What was going on?

"You five!" Leland shouted at a longboat, pointing at five of them. "Go look around. I don't want anything getting in my way. You! Find the compass." The pirates loaded off the longboats and went out to see what shot at them. Suddenly, some of the pirates cried out. Marina figured one of the many unknown beast of this planet took them. Leland never looked so furious. "You two! Go find them!" The last two people hesitantly left the boat to help their vulnerable comrades.

The ropes around Marina's wrists suddenly became loose and she felt something slimy on her hands. She knew it was Morph, and Marina was almost tempted to look but held fast. Mr. Scroop was still on their boat and she couldn't have him know her ropes were loose. Instead, she looked at Richard, who looked as impassive as ever. All of a sudden, their boat shook and Mr. Scroop used his oversized claws to keep his balance. He growled. "Amelia Smollet."

"Good day, Mr. Scroop," the captain whispered. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to catch up." She kicked him out of the boat before he could react.

"Cap'n," said Silver. "'Tis a pleasure to see your—"

"Save the claptrap for the judge, Silver. You're not off the hook."

Silver laughed. "I didn't count on it."

As the boat flew away, Marina could hear the curses of Captain Leland. One of the boats was probably in pursuit. Morph turned into a pair scissors and cut Richard's rope, and he began untying Eddie. "You knew she was here?" Marina asked.

"I saw her ship when we were still on Leland's," he explained. God bless those feline senses of his!

"Alright kids, we have one boat on our tail. There are at least seven pirates aboard it. We need to think fast. Silver, take the controls. Listen to my every command or I will blast you to kingdom come! And B.E.N., try to use this to find Mr. Hawkins and Isabel." Amelia tossed a familiar looking object to the Bio-Electronic Navigator. Gabe's compass. Marina grinned. It was no wonder they were being chased.

"Do we have any weapons on this vessel?"

Amelia tossed her a plasma rifle. "A gun fit for a soldier," she said with a wink. "Boys, cover the sides."

As the shots fired passed their boat, Marina's brain went to work, adrenaline pumping. If they were to enter a narrow path, they'd have the advantage. With B.E.N., he'd be able to navigate their way through the thicket without any trouble.

Now, to deal with the pirates.

"Richard, shoot that man in the third eye! It'll render him temporarily blind! Eddie, you're in the view of the man at the helm! You know what to do!"

"I love a woman who takes charge," Eddie remarked.

"Just do as I say!"

Both boys went to either side of the boat and began shooting at their targets. With Richard's keen eye, the three-eyed long range shooter immediately went down. And Marina had down her research on Eddie. He didn't have the eyes of a Felinid, but he might as well have. Along with being the best trickster in the Interstellar Academy, Edward Gilligan was the best at tactics, which meant was the best when it came to timing not to mention the most handsome—

* * *

><p>"Uncle Gil, why do you keep talking about Eddie? I thought he was just a goofball."<p>

Uncle Gil frowned. "He's not _just_ a goofball."

"You did get carried away, Gil."

"Shut up, Dick."

* * *

><p>It wasn't long until the pirates' longboat was shot down.<p>

"Well done, cadets, Marina," said Amelia. "And steady at the controls, Silver. We're not out of this thick jungle yet."

"Captain!" B.E.N. cried. "I think I've found Jimmy and Robin's location."

"Lead the way, metal man!"

"There's something else," he said, "and it's not good…"

* * *

><p>An hour seemed like a lot of time, but as Jim and Robin rode Bruno through the exotic jungle of Divinia, it seemed like hours had already passed. They were losing precious time. Robin hadn't even had a single vision yet, which was strange. When they first arrived on Divinia, she was having trouble holding them back. But as much as Jim hated seeing her in pain, one of those visions would've been helpful right about now.<p>

"Are you sure you didn't see anything?" he asked desperately. "A sign or something that could jog your memory?"

Robin shook her head. They stopped by a lake so Bruno could rest and get a drink. There was very little sun then, which added to the shade of the cooling shade. So far, they hadn't run into any of Leland's men, so it was safe to assume Amelia had been successful in stalling them and rescuing their friends.

"Maybe Bruno can help." The avian beast purred and Jim rubbed his mane.

"What else could he possibly do, though? He's just an animal."

"Well, he did belong to one of your ancestors. Maybe he also has some mystical abilities or something."

Robin didn't seem so sure. "It's strange, though," she said. "I should be having visions by now, but my mind is at a blank. I don't know what to do."

"It'll be okay, Robin."

She sighed. She thought of telling him about the one vision she had when she was captured by Captain Joseph, but it had been so long ago, and the vision was still pretty fuzzy…

Jim noticed Robin stand, her body suddenly stiff. KiKi jumped off her shoulder and onto Jim's, her fur bristling. The ferret didn't usually act like this unless…

"Oh no…" Robin broke into a run. "Robin, hang on!" Jim jumped onto Bruno's saddle, and the bird beast went into action. Bruno was very fast, even with the extra weight, but Robin was unbelievably quick. "Robin, stop!"

All of a sudden, Robin stopped, and they all ended up in open field. The ground was completely made of rock with etched symbols that formed into a circle. Inside was a delta (Δ). _That's the same symbol from the compass_, Jim thought. "Robin, how'd you know this was here?" The young woman didn't answer him and continued forward. "Robin!" Jim jumped off of Bruno and ran towards her. When he grabbed her arm, Robin stopped. "Robin, what's the matter with you?"

He turned her around to look her in the eye and found her emerald orbs aloof and changing colors. "Robin?"

"It'd be best to release her, boy…"

Jim felt the point of a gun at his head. In one fell swoop, Jim slid under his assailant before pointing his own pistol at him. KiKi hid inside his shirt. Bruno was in full alert, growling at the intruder. When he saw who it was, he almost dropped his gun in astonishment. "S-Scroop?"

The bug smiled nefariously. "Hello, _boy_." He knocked the gun out of his hand and put his claw against his neck. "Now, call off your pet." Jim glowered at him before whistling to Bruno. The beast quieted down immediately.

"I don't understand. No one would be able to survive drifting in the Etherium for so long. How come you did?"

"Leland caught me in the SSSable Abyss and made me a part of his crew. I led him to SSSilver, and here we are."

"_You_ led them to Silver?" Jim growled. "I ought to—"

"One falsssse move and your girlfriend getsss it." Jim looked over at Robin briefly. She was just standing there, and she was extremely vulnerable in this state. He held his hands up in surrender.

All of a sudden, Jim was bombarded by two pirates and held back by a couple of tentacles. "That'll be enough, Mr. Scroop," said Captain Leland. "We need the Treasure of Divinia alive in order to get to the real treasure." The insectan man muttered in irritation for not being able to fulfill his revenge.

"How'd you find us?" asked Jim.

The captain laughed. "Your friends aren't _that_ clever. They might've gotten the map, but we still had one trick up our sleeve." Behind Leland, Jim saw them pull up a man he didn't recognize. Though he appeared physically strong, he looked small and pathetic under the pirates' scrutiny. "And thanks to your beast here, we've found where the treasure lies." Jim looked back at Bruno, who was getting tied down by the rest of Leland's men. They must've followed his tracks.

Leland made his way over to Robin, who was still caught in a trance. He then put something in her hand. The weak man being held prisoner began struggling against the pirates.

"Leland, don't!" he begged. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into!" Jim didn't know who this man was, but he seemed very adamant to keep these pirates away from the treasure. Then he noticed where his gaze was. He was looking at Robin.

"Oh, I assure you, Gabriel, I know exactly what I'm getting myself into," the captain said. "I've been searching for this trove for years, and nothing is going to get in my way! Not you and certainly not some fledglings from the Interstellar Academy!" He glared at Jim, who did not hesitate to glare back at him. "Now, Robin, do be a dear and lead us to the treasure."

Robin blindly followed his edict. As soon as she was at the center of the delta, she put the compass in it. Suddenly, the ground began to quake. The delta began to glow, and the luminosity formed a swirl in the stone area. The center tip of the delta began to fold down, followed by the rest of the triangle, until Robin was standing inside a square. The quaking stopped. As far as the other pirates could tell, nothing had changed. Even Jim was puzzled. The only ones who weren't confused were Captain Leland, who looked absolutely thrilled, and his prisoner, who was not.

"This is brilliant!" Leland snapped his fingers. "Men, we're going down, and we're bringing the young ward and Gabe with us. The two of you stay up here in case Smollet and those cadets show up."

The pirates were still confused but they did not question their leader. In an order fashion, the rest of the pirates pushed Jim and Gabe as they walked down a flight of stairs. Jim realized that was what caused the quaking. He abruptly felt the pirate behind him shove him. "Move it, shrimp!" He frowned at the three-eyed privateer before continuing forward.

The flight of stairs scaled down for a long time, and the temperature began to rise the farther they went down. Jim felt himself dripping with sweat. Even the crew began to complain.

"Quiet down!" shouted Leland.

"But captain, it's so hot!"

"We're entering the core of the planet," Gabe explained. "The further we go, the hotter it'll get."

Gabe was not wrong. Jim didn't know how long they'd been on the stairs, but by that time he was completely parched and his clothes were drenched in sweat. By the time they finally reached the bottom, everyone was glistening in perspiration. There was a bronze wall with alien inscriptions carved into. There was another delta in the middle but no slot for the compass.

"What's she waiting for?" one of the pirates cried.

"Quiet!" Leland hissed. He walked up to the Robin, and whispered in her ear, "That's it, dear. Just solve the puzzle and the treasure is ours." Robin nodded and reached forward. It wasn't until she touched the wall Jim realized that the inscriptions were actually puzzle pieces that she was pressing on, and that the pieces looked eerily similar to the symbols on the Treasure Planet map.

Jim and the pirates waited. Then an echoing sound entered his ears. At first he thought there were some creatures in the cavern they couldn't see, but then the inscriptions on the wall began to glow by each character before fading. Leland and Gabe were the only ones who looked calm about this.

All of a sudden, the cavern began to quake again, and the pirates were in a frenzy. They were a hundred feet underground, and they were already too tired to get back up the stairs. Suddenly, a crack began forming in the wall, and a light shone through it. The wall was divided in half, each side slowly moving on opposite ends. When the wall disappeared, everyone, except for Gabe, stared at the sight before them with dumbfounded expressions.

"This is it," Leland said. "The Treasure of Eternity."

* * *

><p><strong>R&amp;R!<strong>


End file.
